By Spy Uganda
Kampala: has expressed concern over parliament’s failure to address corruption issues in Uganda noting that it ignored calls for a debate on corruption as the House reconvened after a month-long recess on Tuesday, only to be unexpectedly suspended until July 30.
In a statement released to the press, CSBAG decried the ongoing corruption that plagued Uganda’s public sector further highlighting how impunity and informal syndicates between the public and private sectors perpetuated this cycle that has left Uganda in a crisis.
”As a coalition working on budget advocacy, we decry, the persistent rise in corruption in Uganda’s public sector. This is largely attributed to impunity and informal syndicates between and within the public sector and private sector. Recent incidents, such as Parliament’s recent decision to reallocate budget priorities, which prioritises narrow interests over the broader needs of society, ghost public servants as identified by the Office of the Auditor General, and mismanagement of relief items in the Office of the Prime Minister (the Iron Sheet saga), underscore the critical need for transparency and accountability in the budgeting process”. CSBAG said in a statement.
CSBAG also acknowledged the frustration of the youth, noting that the corruption situation in Uganda had been exacerbated by the inaction of those in authority and also commended the recent detention and charging of five Members of Parliament on allegations of corruption as a signal to a rising momentum in the fight against this scourge.
”We note that the corruption situation in Uganda is worsened by the inaction of those with authority. And with this background, we acknowledge the rising momentum of fighting corruption, as evidenced by the recent actions where five Members of Parliament have been detained on allegations of corruption and have been charged in court” the statement adds.
CSBAG urged the government to collaborate constructively with all anti-corruption advocates, including the youth, to develop lasting solutions to eradicate the impunity of corrupt leaders. Additionally, they called on Parliament to establish mechanisms for debating significant national issues, such as corruption scandals, without being constrained by stringent rules and procedures.
”We challenge Parliament to establish mechanisms of debating matters of national importance, such as corruption scandals that lead to grave wastage of public resources. Currently, it has taken close to 2 months to debate corruption in Parliament due to stringent rules and procedures on Parliament petitions. We call upon the government to release all arrested protestors and investigate allegations of abuse from law enforcement agencies” CSBAG said.
