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No more excuses: Time to crush corruption
We would be justified in criticising the approaches by Barugahara and Nameere if they visited a district impromptu and found everything in order. Yet, wherever they have gone, they find rot, shoddy work and potbellied contractors. Why would such people deserve a written notice of the minister’s arrival?
Dr Grace P’KaraMura. (Courtesy)
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
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OPINION
By Dr Grace P’KaraMura
Thankfully, our leaders seem to have woken up to the fact that corruption has ravaged our country. And as the saying goes, it is better late than never. As a country, we had resigned ourselves to the fact that corruption was far from over. In many instances, it seemed as if it had some official sanction, for we have seen some corrupt officials go scot-free, pardoned, some without even being compelled to pay back what they stole with interest.
The word corruption no longer means theft or stealing, but being corrupt has catapulted some obscure individuals into celebrity status. Some even no longer fear to boast that, at least, when they steal, they bring some of the loot to share with their constituents. Consequently, many Ugandans have grown up with and into a culture that glorifies corruption, and that to steal is part of the job description.
But as the adage goes, a thief only has 40 days, though in our case, it has taken some good years. Again, better late than never.
We listened to the President’s inaugural speech, which restored hope to Ugandans. As he put it, this kisanja was going to be ‘term no sleep’. We are optimistic that, indeed, it will be so.
We seem to have a crop of new young leaders, beginning from the Chief of Defence Forces (Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba), local government ministers Balaam Barugahara and Justine Nameere, and others who are ready to confront corruption head-on. Hopefully, the country will rise up and support them. The rate at which corruption is in this country is alarming; it needs a concerted effort because every Ugandan should see themselves as a victim.
Somehow, I have come to admire Barugahara and Nameere for their forthrightness and the courage with which they are determined to confront the corrupt. How we wish that the rest of the ministers and other responsible leaders could join them.
On social media and other platforms, we have begun to see some critics challenging officials like Barugahara for the methods he is applying to apprehend the culprits. Yet, for the last 30 years or so, those who have tried to follow the legal process haven’t got anywhere against corruption. So, for us, any means, however punitive they might be, to expose, fight and eradicate corruption are welcome.
Why do I say so? We have had corruption cases, some of them blatantly obvious, where we thought the culprits would be punished only to see them on their political campaign rallies.
We would be justified in criticising the approaches by Barugahara and Nameere if they visited a district impromptu and found everything in order. Yet, wherever they have gone, they find rot, shoddy work and potbellied contractors. Why would such people deserve a written notice of the minister’s arrival?
The consequences of corruption to our country are obvious and devastatingly
dangerous.
Considering the many economic empowerment programmes our country has had, we would have already attained the middle income status, if not higher, had it not been for corruption. I am convinced that Uganda has the best of such programmes except that it has been let down by its stewards. It is horrendous that some officials can even go as low as stealing Parish Development Model money meant for the poor.
Somehow, I have come to admire Barugahara and Nameere for their forthrightness and the courage with which they are determined to confront the corrupt. How we wish that the rest of the ministers and other responsible leaders could join them.
On social media and other platforms, we have begun to see some critics challenging officials like Barugahara for the methods he is applying to apprehend the culprits. Yet, for the last 30 years or so, those who have tried to follow the legal process haven’t got anywhere against corruption. So, for us, any means, however punitive they might be, to expose, fight and eradicate corruption are welcome.
Why do I say so? We have had corruption cases, some of them blatantly obvious, where we thought the culprits would be punished only to see them on their political campaign rallies.
We would be justified in criticising the approaches by Barugahara and Nameere if they visited a district impromptu and found everything in order. Yet, wherever they have gone, they find rot, shoddy work and potbellied contractors. Why would such people deserve a written notice of the minister’s arrival?
The consequences of corruption to our country are obvious and devastatingly
dangerous.
Considering the many economic empowerment programmes our country has had, we would have already attained the middle income status, if not higher, had it not been for corruption. I am convinced that Uganda has the best of such programmes except that it has been let down by its stewards. It is horrendous that some officials can even go as low as stealing Parish Development Model money meant for the poor.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we heard of certain officials who stole COVID-19 funds and built apartments for themselves. We have read of certain officials who inflated the national budget for a cut and other cases. Such heinous, treacherous acts and actors go unpunished, unless what we read in the media is not correct.
We should, as a country, wake up, rise up and support the CDF and other ministers who have a heart for this country, and we are ready to join them.
Talking of the consequences of corruption, I am not sure how many of you have taken a patient to any of our government referral hospitals. Just last year, I took a severe accident patient to the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital casualty ward. What I witnessed was humbling. We arrived at about 8:00pm, but we were not attended to until about 1:00am.
As I was about to lose it, I realised that, actually, there were very few doctors trying their best to attend to all critical patients. I am sure those doctors had not eaten or drunk anything the whole night. Hospitals, like many other places, are understaffed. Shouldn’t it concern us that someone, somewhere is stealing money which, otherwise, should have gone to such institutions? Yet, like myself, we stand akimbo and blame health workers instead of fighting the root cause.
About two years ago, I was seated at a coffee point in Kampala. Just a table away from me were three healthy-looking gentlemen absorbed in a serious conversation. I overheard one saying he had had enough and was going to resign. He was finding it so difficult to run the institution. He said whenever the annual grant hits the institution’s account, he gets a phone call from the very officials that sent it for a cut. When they realised that I was eavesdropping, the gentlemen left, one after another.
The former Speaker of Parliament, the late Jacob Oulanyah, while at the anti-corruption walk in Kololo, Kampala, said that we are all somehow corrupt. Other than the President, who said that he was not corrupt, and I concur, the rest of the anti-corruption crusaders looked down. I guess what he meant was that we may not necessarily be stealing government money, but somehow, we are silently condoning the corrupt acts.
To the CDF, Barugahara, Nameere and all those wishing our country a better future, we are behind you. We pray that you don’t run out of steam on the way. God bless Uganda.
The writer is a Ugandan living in the UK
We should, as a country, wake up, rise up and support the CDF and other ministers who have a heart for this country, and we are ready to join them.
Talking of the consequences of corruption, I am not sure how many of you have taken a patient to any of our government referral hospitals. Just last year, I took a severe accident patient to the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital casualty ward. What I witnessed was humbling. We arrived at about 8:00pm, but we were not attended to until about 1:00am.
As I was about to lose it, I realised that, actually, there were very few doctors trying their best to attend to all critical patients. I am sure those doctors had not eaten or drunk anything the whole night. Hospitals, like many other places, are understaffed. Shouldn’t it concern us that someone, somewhere is stealing money which, otherwise, should have gone to such institutions? Yet, like myself, we stand akimbo and blame health workers instead of fighting the root cause.
About two years ago, I was seated at a coffee point in Kampala. Just a table away from me were three healthy-looking gentlemen absorbed in a serious conversation. I overheard one saying he had had enough and was going to resign. He was finding it so difficult to run the institution. He said whenever the annual grant hits the institution’s account, he gets a phone call from the very officials that sent it for a cut. When they realised that I was eavesdropping, the gentlemen left, one after another.
The former Speaker of Parliament, the late Jacob Oulanyah, while at the anti-corruption walk in Kololo, Kampala, said that we are all somehow corrupt. Other than the President, who said that he was not corrupt, and I concur, the rest of the anti-corruption crusaders looked down. I guess what he meant was that we may not necessarily be stealing government money, but somehow, we are silently condoning the corrupt acts.
To the CDF, Barugahara, Nameere and all those wishing our country a better future, we are behind you. We pray that you don’t run out of steam on the way. God bless Uganda.
The writer is a Ugandan living in the UK