Uganda still loses shs 10trillion annually to corruption despite existence of Anti-Corruption agencies in place to contain the vice, Inspectorate or Government Betty Kamya has revealed.
This was revealed in the 2023/2024 IGG report, presented to the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, by IGG Beti Kamya.
According to the report, nearly 3,000 complaints were lodged with the IGG between July 2023 and June 2024, a significant portion of which highlighted bribery demands within district service commissions.
Kamya emphasized that corruption remains one of the country’s most pressing challenges, despite ongoing efforts to combat it.
“We conducted research on the cost and extent of corruption in the recruitment of staff by district service commissions. Preliminary findings confirm widespread corruption in the recruitment process within government, especially at the district level,” stated IGG Beti Kamya.
The IGG’s office initiated investigations into 2,444 of the complaints, concluding 1,823 investigations within the same period.
However, only 78 cases were prosecuted, leading to just 53 convictions. Kamya expressed concern over the low prosecution rate, particularly in cases involving public officials like district service commission.
Kamya cited a shortage of funding as a significant obstacle to the inspectorate’s operations.
The IGG’s office has been allocated Shs81.7 billion for the 2024/2025 financial year, but Kamya stressed the need for additional support, especially as they aim to embark on digital transformation to accelerate investigations and audits.
The 2023/2024 IGG report paints a bleak picture of the ongoing battle against corruption in Uganda, with district service commissions facing particular scrutiny for their role in perpetuating bribery in public service recruitment.
Despite some progress, the challenges of limited resources and low recovery rates continue to impede efforts to hold corrupt officials accountable.
According to IGG Report close to 3,000 complaints were filed, many alleging bribery by district service commissioners and 1,823 investigations concluded; only 53 convictions securedShs26 billion ordered for recovery, but only Shs5 billion retrieved.
The IGG is advocating for a $10 million digital transformation to expedite investigations
