BUSIA: Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke, the State House Anti-corruption Unit Head has condemned corruption, noting that the vice is a big impediment to service delivery.
Visiting Busia district early this week (Monday, June 20, 2022) alongside the State Minister for Economic Monitoring, Peter Ogwang as part of the ongoing monitoring exercise of government programs, Gen. Isoke lauded the LCV and Resident District Commissioner for the will exhibited in fighting corruption and asked them to ensure that late coming and absenteeism which are a silent form of corruption are also rooted out of the district.
During the monitoring exercise, the State House Anti-corruption Unit tweeted saying that issues of concern raised included; the mismanagement of UGX350million emyooga funds, starter funds, Primary Health Care funds, inflation of the pension and wage bill, stalled and shoddy construction of the UGX1.6billion Town Council building and the mismanagement of Busia Main Market among others.
Days after the Busia visit, the State House Anti-corruption Unit in liaison with Uganda Police arrested the Town Clerk Busolwe TC Butaleja DLG, Julius Hirya for fraudulently awarding the Town council structural and planning contract to World Host Consultants Ltd and further paying the same company UGX 32million without approvals.
Anti Corruption Unit also in a Tweet revealed “the Senior Procurement Officer Hibbombo Kainan was also arrested for fraudulently processing an award letter to the same contractor purporting that the District Contracts Committee of Butaleja DLG had approved the contract whereas not”.
The arrests come shortly after the Unit in liaison with Police arrested 6 suspects; The Chairperson Tororo Teachers Assoc. Irene Langa, her cabinet and 2 internal auditors for conspiracy to defraud UGx1.3billion of UPE funds since 2019.
“The DEO Albert Odo who is also part of the fraud is still at large,” read a tweet from the State House Anti-corruption Unit.
Uganda is the 144 least corrupt nation out of 180 countries, according to the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.
The causes of corruption lie partly in political and cultural reasons, and ineffective law enforcement may further promote it.
Of late, the Unit has been able to obtain data and crucial information, leading to investigation and prosecution of corrupt officials, through engaging the public. As a matter of fact, the Anti-corruption Unit has implored the public to report and expose any corrupt officials so as to attain the dream goal of a corruption free state.