Speaker Among has urged the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya to create friendships with the members of the public and intensify awareness efforts on the dangers of corruption in order to fight the vice in Uganda.
The Speaker made the appeal while receiving the Annual Report of the Inspectorate of Government at Parliament, after the IGG reported an increase in the number of complaints filed to 1657 complaints between January –July 2024, compared to 1,068 complaints filed between July –December 2022, a growth Kamya attributed to the increased engagement with the public in order to encourage people to report corruption.
“I know you create awareness to the public about corruption and about misuse of Government funds, I want you to increase on that awareness outside there. Create friendship with these people, when you create friendship with these people, they will be able to tell you, so and so took this and that will be a starting point. So when you create awareness, it will reduce some kind of corruption that is outside there,” said Among.
The Speaker also thanked the IGG for consistently handing over her performance reports to Parliament as required in the Constitution, saying there are complaints amongst some MPs that some agencies aren’t handing in their reports to Parliament as required.
“We want to thank you for the good work you are doing, we do appreciate the work you are doing for this country and it is you and us to bring change in this country and we will always give you our unwavering support as Parliament towards that. And I want to ask the Chairperson Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee that when the IGG comes to knock on your door, I want you to accord them the highest support that they will always need. Because they do a great job which we appreciate as a country. We as Parliament, we know what you are doing and the country knows what you are doing,” remarked Among.
Kamya also decried the widespread corruption in recruitment for Government jobs, revealing that the Inspectorate conducted research on the cost and extent of corruption in recruitment of staff by district service commissions in 20 districts and results showed rampant corruption in the recruitment process.
“We also conducted a cost benefit analysis of outsourcing private recruitment firms, by Government departments and agencies. The research was undertaken as a result of various complaints received on issues of irregular recruitment, by Commissions and preliminary findings confirm, widespread corruption in recruitment process in Government, especially, the district service commissions,” explained Kamya.
The IGG also noted that although the Inspectorate of Government is categorized as a consumptive sector but in reality, it isn’t consumptive because the agency is mandated to save money, recover money and stamp out corruption and as such, it plays a crucial role in ensuring that all money released by Government is put to good use.
The IGG also urged Ugandans to join the war on corruption noting, “During the reporting period, the Inspectorate of Government prioritized prevention of corruption as the main approach in the elimination of corruption and promotion of strict adherence to the rule of law. Through this prevention method, we have opened up the Inspectorate of Government to the public, so we are inviting the public to join the war against corruption and to recognize themselves as victims of corruption
