MBAGADHI FREDERICK NKAYI: Fighting Corruption, Barugahara’s “Antidote” Is All About Walking the Talk

Corruption remains one of the greatest obstacles to Uganda’s development and prosperity. It drains public resources, weakens institutions and distorts national priorities, turning services meant for citizens into avenues for private gain.

The duty to resist this vice is therefore not optional. The 1995 Constitution obligates every citizen to combat corruption, and confronting this notorious monster requires utmost commitment, courage and sustained action.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s call for a 2026–2031 term defined by “no sleep, no corruption” is timely and speaks volumes about the urgency of the fight. With Minister for Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, taking a firm stance against the vice, there is an opportunity for a new era of action and a new antidote to corruption.

For a long time, H.E. President Museveni has, amid enormous challenges, demonstrated the zeal and determination to fight the scourge. He has consistently castigated state actors over the increasing sophistication of corruption and called for a multifaceted approach to tackling the problem.

The creation of several anti-corruption institutions is testimony to the Government’s political will and commitment. These include the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Investors Protection Unit, Inspectorate of Government, Office of the Auditor General, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Judicial Anti-Corruption Division. Their establishment reflects a strong desire to build a society free from corruption.

In one of my previous articles, titled “Corruption: Are We Focusing Right?”, I raised fundamental questions about complacency and the limitations of the systems and institutions entrusted with the fight against corruption.

While we appreciate the enormous effort and resources invested in the anti-corruption drive by the entities mentioned above, it is clear that much remains to be done.

According to the Inspectorate of Government’s Cost of Corruption Study General Report, initiated in 2021, Uganda lost at least Shs9.1 trillion to corruption in 2019, equivalent to 44 percent of total government revenue. Approximately Shs4.5 trillion was borne directly by the public budget, while Shs4.3 trillion was borne by citizens, public service users and firms.

These figures are not merely statistics. They represent real roads that were never built, classrooms that remain overcrowded, medicines that never reached patients and water systems that continue to fail communities across the country.

It is against this backdrop that Ugandans should welcome the renewed anti-corruption momentum and resolve being championed by Hon. Balaam Barugahara and his counterpart, Hon. Justine Nameere.

Their “Expose the Corrupt in Local Government” campaign has taken accountability beyond office desks and into project sites, generating renewed public attention and confidence in the fight against corruption.

But alas, Barugahara’s resolute move to confront the monster head-on has caused unease among some government officials suspected of being on the wrong side of the law, with some of them and their sympathisers questioning what they describe as a “crude and unethical” operational approach.

To the appointing authority and the wider citizenry, however, the decisive approach sends a clear message: the fight against corruption must produce tangible results.

For state actors engaged in this struggle, the fight against corruption must move beyond persuasive language and diplomatic approaches to firm consequences and lasting institutional reform. In practical terms, corruption must become a high-risk venture with a high price for those who engage in it.

No minister, institution or citizen can win this fight alone. Every person, regardless of position or responsibility, must play their part in building a society where national resources are protected for the public good, merit triumphs over connections, institutions are trusted and every citizen benefits from an accountable government.

Ultimately, Uganda must measure success in the fight against corruption by results: effective investigations, successful prosecutions, convictions based on credible evidence, recovery of stolen public funds and stronger systems capable of preventing corruption from recurring.

The real antidote to corruption is therefore not merely another policy, institution or slogan. It is walking the talk  consistently turning political commitment into decisive action, accountability and measurable results.

Mbagadhi Frederick Nkayi

Commissioner – Office of the President

Kampala Metropolitan