THOSE WITH VITZ, DON’T GET ANNOYED, FIGHT CORRUPTION!

By Michael Aboneka

Social media was awash with the comments of the Inspector General of Government on issues of corruption. In her statement, attention was drawn to the fact that corruption does not affect the haves-but rather the have-nots and the less privileged who are always the victim of corruption. In whatever way you want to take the words of the IGG, there is truth in it in all ways. The rich will continue to be rich at the expense of the poor. What more examples do we need to this when we have fresh accounts of ministers who were arrested, charged, remanded and are still battling cases over the “stolen Iron sheets”---for they were taking from the poor/vulnerable? Using the example of how the poor and less privileged will spend all their money on repairing their small cars; Toyota wish and vitz time and again because of the potholes, while those in government and highly placed offices will never feel the potholes later on the pinch of repair costs; it is a glaring fact living among us-for we are left to the mercies of God while those in power and those amassing illicit wealth are enjoying over us!

The poor and less privileged will continue to go to the local health facilities, of which they cannot even afford an exercise book (for medical records) and the medicine too. The rich and privileged will call those in power to be flown to Kampala for first aid and drinking water and later flown out of Uganda for “proper” treatment at the expense of the poor ones. Unfortunately, this is the fact living with us! Corruption affects the less privileged more than the privileged. It is a cancer that eats every marrow of society. Uganda is still struggling with the fight against Corruption. Currently, according to Transparency International Corruption Perception Index 2022, Uganda is ranked 142 out of 180 countries scoring 26 points out of 100. According to the IGG, Uganda Losses 11Trillion shillings in Corruption alone. This is almost half of national budget! This is alarming and should be every Ugandan’s concern.  

Instead of haling insults and cures at the IG, we should take this as a wakeup call and take the fight against corruption too serious. Article 17(i) of the Constitution makes it a duty for every citizen to combat corruption and misuse of public property. Further, Article 38 gives every citizen the right to participate in the affairs of their government. We cannot, therefore, leave the powerful and mighty squander and plunder resources while we watch! We love to embrace the rich and corrupt, invite them to our functions, give them the front seats in our churches and bestow upon them responsibilities of fundraising among others. Our silence and inaction has made the corruption fashionable and corruption is now a norm-after all our children must all eat!  We forget, that there comes a day when no one will airlift us to Kampala for first aid later on out of country for treatment-we shall continue to wail in our dilapidated hospitals if we don’t speak up!

It is our responsibility  to ensure that our taxes are able to provide us with adequate and efficient services. We have to demand for accountability from our leaders but at the same time, ensure that we call out the corrupt, shun their functions, don’t invite them for our functions, shun their big hotels built on our sweat, shun their big schools and supermarkets! Let us support our own, who have verily and genuinely sweated  for their money and we are benefiting as a community! Much as the IG is mandated to fight corruption in Uganda, it all begins with us to ensure we report the corrupt and shun their wealth and businesses reaped out of corruption. We all know the beneficiaries of corruption in our respective localities and it is high time we exposed them!

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