While corruption remains one of Uganda’s greatest governance challenges, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni deserves recognition for his statement during the swearing-in ceremony on May 12, declaring this a “kisanja of no more sleep and no more corruption.” If I am to do away with the clinical language designed to make a brutal reality palatable, corruption in Uganda exists in government, the private sector, Civil Society Organisations, political parties, families, marriages, and other institutions beyond the scope of this article.
Corruption has been defined by the World Bank Anti-Corruption Fact Sheet of 2020 as the misuse of public office for private gain. Atwine Nyangoma Catherine (2025), citing six international institutions, defines corruption as the practice of offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting, directly or indirectly, anything of value to improperly influence the actions of another. Evidence in Uganda shows that the problem of corruption is real and has recently surged. One challenge is that even the effectiveness of anti-corruption agencies has been questioned in Uganda, as noted in the Report on Uganda Parliament Exhibition (2024), cited by Paul Mukiibi (2025). This is where I have to thank President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa for recognising that corruption is an issue requiring immediate action.
I recall five years ago, while conducting a community Baraza in one of the Karamoja districts, when citizens raised issues of poor service delivery in a health unit, one government official, while responding to one of the concerns, stated, “KACC, we are tired of your work; can’t you go to another district?” Such statements reflect how difficult anti-corruption work has become at the grassroots level. Now that the President has committed himself to eliminating corruption, will such questions re-surface?
One brutal fact is that corruption has become complex, sophisticated, and at times well-syndicated, making it difficult to fight.
There are also factors such as the politicisation of corruption, lack of independence, inadequate funding, and lack of professionalism, all of which make corruption difficult to eliminate.
While I appreciate President Museveni’s initiative, I urge the government to collaborate with anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations at the grassroots level to hold local governments accountable and enhance the monitoring of community projects.
Ayub Mukisa, PhD
Executive Director, Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition (KACC)
Email: ayubmukisa@gmail.com
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