I sincerely believe that Uganda needs Patriots and Committed Cadres to fight the war against Corruption and its Evil Deeds. Uganda as a country must practise High Morality in Public and Private Life which is key to world betterment.
Indeed in our diverse cultures, dishonesty and stealing are not condoned. It seems that in Uganda, the biggest challenge to our National Social Economic Transformation is not lack of electricity or infrastructure development but having incorruptible and honest leaders and managers at all levels of actions.
Everywhere you go in Uganda you just hear corruption and dishonesty. Corrupt people are not only dishonest and untrustworthy, they are also sectarian and nepotistic in character.
Every one hired in a job, both in the public and private sector, is on a mission to steal and enrich oneself. Worse still the fraud is not committed by one person but is a chain from the worker through accounting and management up to the top manager.
Qualifications and degrees can be obtained but once someone is corrupt, dishonest, untrustworthy, a thief, sectarian and nepotistic such a person is irredeemable.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa has attributed the country’s challenges to pervasive corruption amongst leaders. Indeed examining what is transpiring in Parliament and other government institutions, proves this point.
With escalating corruption, dishonesty, untrustworthiness, sectarianism, nepotism and theft, development will be impossible in Uganda. The few honest Ugandans, both in the Public and Private Sectors, should be emulated and are exactly what Uganda today desperately and painfully needs. There is no way this country is going to evolve when those who are supposed to oversee and manage the economy of the country, are the ones who conspire to steal from any type of investor; local or foreign, small or large or even from the Government.
Corruption, dishonesty and untrustworthiness also concern siblings. The closure of family businesses, after the demise of the family head, is a great example of why siblings can not do business together.
Mr. Crispin Kaheru, a member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission says that
corruption is not just a personal matter. He says that it is worryingly a culture and it is now a way of life, not just for individual people, but even for communities, governments, and nations. Therefore, he goes on to say, I quote “my fellow explorers in this Ugandan journey, let us march forward with more resolve to reclaim this Pearl of Africa from the clutches of corruption for in the end, it is not just about the destination; it is about the journey we undertake to build a nation that shines and reverberates on the global stage”, I unquote.
Honesty, incorruptibility, integrity, trustworthiness and fairness all start from our homes, leadership and by example. Corruption as said earlier also breeds sectarianism and nepotism. The practice of sectarianism and nepotism among those with power or influence of favouring relatives, friends, or associates, by giving them jobs has increasingly eaten up our nation. Unfortunately, this has led to giving jobs to mediocres who are unqualified and incompetent, especially in key areas of our social and economic transformation, resulting in non performance and failure to develop. Both qualified and competent personnel miss out in employment while mediocres are given jobs where they cannot deliver. We have seen cases where people appear for interviews but the worst performers are instead selected for appointment.
Regardless of the jobs we do – from the sweeper to the craftsman, the storekeeper, the driver, the tea or coffee or flower picker, the cook, the painter, the builder, the salesman, the purchasing manager, the nurse, the doctor, the head of school, the councillor, the local leader, the head of department, the minister – we ALL Ugandans must be incorruptible, honest, trustworthy and impartial for the sake of Mother Country Uganda.
By being corrupt, dishonest, untrustworthy, tribalistic, thieves, sectarian or nepotistic, we violate our beloved Uganda. Foreign elements know and are aware of all our vices mentioned above, so they come to this country to steal our vast natural resources mercilessly by giving a few crumbs of bread to those Ugandans in charge of running the affairs of our country. All this is done at the great expense of our national development and self-reliance. Let us ALL resolve to get rid of those vices enumerated above. To do this, we need behavioural and mind – set change. We must embrace the spirit of Patriotism and Cadership, for God and my Country.
Magimbi Paul Waigumbulizi, Chairman NRM Elders League Nakawa.
magimbi.paul@gmail.com
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