Building a Citizen Anti-Corruption Movement In Uganda

Download Communique by Clicking this Link: THE KAMPALA-COMMUNIQUE FOR A POSITIVE ANTI-CORRUPTION MOVEMENT (1163 downloads )

Over the last decade, government has formulated a wide range of policies, action plans, enacted new laws and established new institutions to lead its anti-corruption efforts. However, these efforts have yielded substandard results and the recent developments raise doubts about the willingness of government to effectively address corruption. High profile corruption cases such as the Temangalo Scandal, the Global Fund Scandal, and the CHOGM scandal clearly show that we are losing the race against corruption.

World Bank estimates show that Uganda loses an estimate of $300 million (Ugx 500 billion) annually to corruption. Likewise, the 2011 Transparency International Perception Index gives Uganda a decimal score of 2.4 on scale of 10, placing it as the 143rd of the world’s 183 countries.

As part of a wider civic action against the corruption vice in Uganda and in a bid to build a citizen movement in the fight against corruption, Civil Society Organizations organized the 1st National Annual Anti-Corruption Convention. The Convention which took place on 8th December 2011 at Imperial Royale Hotel brought together over 600 participants from all walks of life including; women groups, youth, private sector, farmers groups, government officials, Members’ of parliament, development partners and presentatives of Civil Society Organizations. The overall objective of the convention was to kick start the process of building a national anti-corruption movement of patriotic citizens to work towards total elimination of corruption and abuse of office in Uganda.

The Convention gained from presentations and discussions by elder statesmen and women with a proven record of integrity and high moral standing. These included; Hon. Maria Matembe, Prof. Joy Kwesiga, Prof. George Kanyeihamba, Mrs Rhoda Kalema, Mr.Paul Etyang, Prof. George Kirya and Gen. Elly Tumwine, Bishop Zac Niringye and Bishop Muhima among others. Parallel sessions were held to bring together constituent groups with the aim of discussing corruption in their respective constituencies. They included; The youth and corruption; Women’s movement in Uganda and corruption; Workers Movement in Uganda and corruption; Corruption and service delivery in health and education sectors (Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organisation; and Transparency International Uganda organized this session ); Corruption and the role of Parliament and the media and corruption.

The Convention participants agreed to the following broad actions;

• To identify and elect leaders and holders of public office of high integrity that would make decisions in public interest and not personal gains by making corruption an election and performance issue
• Organize Regional Anti-Corruption Conventions country wide as a build up to the annual National Convention
• Constitute a task team to write to the President demanding that he stops appointing people implicated in corruption to public offices
• To expose /shun all corrupt leaders through a regular list of name and shame to reverse the glorification of corruption.
• Widely disseminate the Kampala Communiqué to all citizens of Uganda