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IGG names corrupt institutions.
Posted
on 2009-02-03
The Daily MONITOR , Thursday, 20th November, 2008
By Gerald Bareebe
The Police and the Judiciary are the most corrupt public institutions,
according to the 2008 Inspectorate of Government National Integrity
Survey.
Corruption “has been glorified as an accepted way of life”, the report
warns. It notes in part, “Members of the society are regarded as heroes
even when they are known to have acquired their wealth through corrupt
means. On the other hand, those with little wealth but with integrity
are regarded as failures.
This is the highest form of societal betray regarding building moral
character, natural value and a just society.”
Released yesterday, the report shows that Uganda Revenue Authority,
district service commissions, which recruit district employees, power
distributor Umeme, and the public service pension scheme as other
institutions where corruption has flourished.
The report is not based on actual cases of corruption but on public
surveys in which people are asked to name those institutions where they
encounter corruption most.
According to the survey, more than eight out of 10 people named the
Police force as the most corrupt followed by the Judiciary (79 per
cent), URA (77 per cent), district service commissions (74 per cent),
Umeme (73 per cent) and Public Pension Service (71 per cent).
The same report ranks National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) as
the best public service institution followed by the Inspectorate of
Government and URA.
According to the report, Kampala City Council is rated as the poorest
service provider, followed by Umeme, pensions department, the lands
office and the Police.
It also ranks NWSC as the most honest public institution with 75 per
cent of Ugandans trusting it, followed by NGOs and the IGG’s office
which are both trusted by seven out of 10 Ugandans.
The police force is ranked as the most dishonest institution by eight
out of 10 Ugandans, followed by Umeme (75 per cent) and KCC (74 per
cent). Six out of 10 Ugandans pointed out the traffic police department
as being exceptionally dishonest.
Commissioned by the IGG and conducted by Reev Consult International, a
local research firm, the survey shows that most Ugandans are afraid of
reporting corruption cases with people in the northern region more
willing to report graft cases and those in central region least likely
to do so.
Seven out of 10 Ugandans said bribery was the most common form of
corruption in public institutions while about six out of 10 said it was
favouritism.
Asked how corruption takes place, one in two Ugandans said public
officials directly asked for bribes while 15 per cent said the public
officials frustrated the person seeking a service until they offered a
bribe.
One in 10 people said offering a bribe had become a predictable part of
the process of getting services, almost the same number of people who
said they initiated the bribery process in order to get services.
Some eight per cent said payment of bribes was negotiable while four
per cent said they paid bribes through third parties.
The report follows a Daily Monitor poll, conducted in May and published
last week, which showed that most Ugandans have lost confidence in
President Museveni’s government’s ability to fight corruption.
The IGG’s report shows that most Ugandans believe that most
anti-corruption institutions have failed with the PPDA, DPP and the
Leadership Code, which regulates the conduct of public officials, being
perceived the least unsuccessful.
Seven out of 10 Ugandans rated the liberalisation of the media, as well
as the IGG office’s, as the most successful anti-corruption measures.
The First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Kategaya, who presided over the
launch, called for more sensitisation of the public to enable people
report corrupt officials.
“People don’t know that they have a right to demand services from the
government,” Mr Kategaya said. “Do they even understand how the
government should run?”
IGG Faith Mwondha told Daily Monitor that complacency was hindering the
fight against corruption. “People pay bribes and they don’t report
because they fear reprisals,” she said.
“For corruption to end, society has to change and turn back to God.”
URA spokesman Paul Kyeyune dismissed the report. “I have not read it,
but I guess it might not be accurate,” he said. “We have improved so
much and no one can believe that after four years we are still in the
same position.”
Principal Judge James Ogoola said the Judiciary would present a formal
reply after reading the report. The Police also promised to respond
after reading the report. |
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