Uganda’s grotesque dance with corruption has reached a vile crescendo, orchestrated by a select few—only 30,000 individuals, to be precise. These parasites, masquerading as government officials, have brought Uganda to its knees. The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Hon. Beti Olive Namisango Kamya-Turwomwe, recently exposed this national betrayal at the 12th CPA Economic Forum in Entebbe. It’s time to call out this abhorrent reality with the venom it deserves.
Kamya’s presentation, “Impact of Corruption & Fraud on the Economy,” was a searing indictment. She traced Uganda’s history of misery, from ignorance, disease, and poverty in the 1960s and 70s, to the clinging despotism of the 80s and 90s, culminating in the rampant corruption of the 21st century. Corruption, as Kamya outlined, is not merely the pursuit of financial gain. It includes sexual harassment, nepotism, absenteeism, and abysmal public service delivery—actions that have metastasized into a malignant cancer eating away at Uganda’s heart.
Kamya’s definition of fraud—a subset of corruption—paints a harrowing picture of criminal deception intended to secure unlawful or unethical gain. This precise misrepresentation of truth and concealment of facts has allowed 30,000 so-called officials to monopolize decision-making and siphon public resources for personal gain. The numbers speak for themselves. Out of 45.9 million Ugandans, only 30,000 hold the reins of power, deciding how public resources are allocated. Among the 380,000 public officers, 30,000 top officials including the President, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Judges, and other high-ranking bureaucrats, have cornered the decision-making process. The rest are mere cogs in this corrupt machine—teachers, soldiers, police officers, prison services staff, and lower-level employees who are essentially pawns in this grand theft.
Kamya did not mince words: these 30,000 officials are responsible for the economic migration of hundreds of thousands of Ugandans who flee not for political asylum, but economic survival. Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index has pegged Uganda at a dismal 26%, making it one of the 39 most corrupt countries in the world out of 181 rated nations. The IG’s own 2021 study estimated that Uganda loses nearly UGX 10 trillion annually to corruption. To contextualize, Uganda’s domestic revenue for FY 22/23 was UGX 25.55 trillion, yet UGX 10 trillion was siphoned off by these 30,000 crooks.
This monumental theft means that 40% of Uganda’s collected taxes are embezzled, forcing the country to borrow UGX 27.2 trillion to cover a national budget of UGX 52.7 trillion. Had corruption been curtailed, Uganda would only have needed to borrow UGX 17 trillion. If this trend continues unchecked, Uganda’s economic future is bleak.
The avenues of this grand larceny are numerous and sophisticated. The 2021 survey highlighted non-declaration, under-declaration, and falsification of information in taxation, along with egregious practices in procurement such as over-pricing, air-purchase, and unfinished contracts. Ghost workers, claimants, and beneficiaries infest the payroll, while unqualified staff, hired based on fake documents and political patronage, exacerbate the problem. District Service Commissions, appointed through political patronage, recruit similarly undeserving employees. These employees, in turn, must pay to get and keep their jobs, perpetuating a cycle of corruption where money flows from one pocket to another in an endless loop of deceit and betrayal. Loose minutes for non-existent activities are raised, and funds are siphoned through lower-level staff accounts to the bosses who orchestrate these scams.
Corruption diverts resources from public good to private greed, resulting in poor quality services, distorted development, and an overall expensive economy. This makes Uganda unattractive to investors, stifles job creation, and leads to low tax collection. Additionally, siphoning resources outside Uganda to hide illicit wealth denies the nation crucial capital needed for development. Public accountants, whose role is to safeguard public funds, are instead complicit enablers of this grand heist. Kamya called upon the Institute of Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) to clean its house, urging them to encourage whistleblowing and report on colleagues whose lifestyles are not commensurate with their incomes. The promise of earning 5% of recovered funds is a dangling carrot, yet the systemic rot within the accounting profession must be addressed first.
At the heart of government fraud is often an accountant or auditor, leveraging their professional knowledge to siphon funds under the guise of legality. Ministries, departments, and agencies each have senior accountants and internal auditors, ostensibly there to ensure public funds are used appropriately. Instead, these professionals often facilitate the cover-up of fraud, theft, and embezzlement. Kamya’s call to the ICPAU to focus on internal reforms rather than policy formulation is a sobering reminder of the pervasive nature of corruption. Policy changes, no matter how well-intentioned, are futile if the very professionals proposing them are the same ones aiding and abetting corruption.
Uganda stands at a crossroads, held hostage by a corrupt elite whose actions have rendered the nation one of the most corrupt and least developed in the world. The betrayal by these 30,000 officials is a national tragedy. It’s time for Ugandans to rise against this vile oligarchy, demand accountability, and reclaim their nation from the clutches of corruption. This is not just an economic imperative; it is a moral and existential one.
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