The National
Resistance Movement (NRM) government launched a ten-point program
when it came to power in 1986. Point number seven called for the
elimination of corruption and misuse of power once and for all to
enable Ugandans tackle the challenges of backwardness. Down the road
elimination of corruption fell by the wayside. What Uganda is
witnessing now (2009) is corruption – the abuse of public roles or
resources for private benefit – on a massive scale that has become
rampant and is suffocating political and economic development
efforts.
To end corruption
one has to understand it first because it has different
characteristics, classifications and types. There is general
consensus that in Africa corruption has deepened instability and
poverty.
The author will
outline corruption features to enable readers to determine which ones
apply to Uganda and make corrective recommendations, if any, through
appropriate channels.
Throughout human
history, corruption has appeared in all societies. Most discussions
of corruption have focused on government accountability and honest
political processes. The 1960s and 1970s witnessed serious debate
regarding corruption followed by a period of dormancy until the close
of the 20th century when it made a comeback in connection
with democracy and economic development and because of many
corruption scandals around the world. The World Bank, Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Transparency
International and the United Nations have vigorously debated
corruption and taken measures including resolutions to end it.
Moralists have
argued that corruption distorts politics and policy and diverts
resources. They have produced data showing that corruption harms
economic growth, discourages foreign investment, and increases
bureaucratic delays as officials figure out new ways to enrich
themselves, diverts or reducing spending on social services toward
large-scale projects that offer major bribes. Corruption enables
officials and their wealthy clients to exploit the state and the
people thereby undermining efforts to build democracy (government of
the people, by the people and for the people).
Where corruption is
rampant organizations of civil society are weak, popular
participation and competition in politics and the economy is
impaired, ethnic fragmentation is encouraged, civil servants are
underpaid, tax collection is impaired and governments depend on
outside investments or extractive industries such as oil. Punishing
individual corrupt officials without eliminating the culture of
corruption will not help much because corruption will resurface
sooner or later.
There are six
characteristics of corruption: deliberate subordination of public
interest to personal gain; secrecy of execution except in situations
that allow powerful individuals or those under their protection to be
open about it; presence of mutual obligations and benefits in
pecuniary or other forms; interaction of those who want certain
decisions and those who can influence them in a mutually
reciprocating way; attempt to camouflage the corrupt act by some
forms of lawful justification; and involvement of contradictory dual
functions by those committing the act.
Corruption is of two
types: the secret one that happens without infecting the entire
fabric of society or state; and the tidal one which floods the entire
state machinery, including those at the centre of power. The latter
distorts and debilitates administrative efforts and dampens
enthusiasm of genuine and capable public officials.
Corruption distorts
political, economic and social systems by digressing from national
objectives such as social welfare and justice and negating various
state institutions that may undermine democracy such as offering
bribes during elections.
Corruption has also
been divided into three types: extortive (when one is forced to bribe
in order to gain or protect one’s rights or needs); manipulative
(an attempt made to influence decisions in one’s favor); and
nepotistic (preferential treatment of relatives and friends in
appointments to positions or special favors given to political
parties or social organizations).
In countries where
corruption is rampant, the overall result is negative because
important decisions are influenced by ulterior motives regardless of
their impact on citizens. The administrative machine malfunctions
making it impossible for honest leaders to achieve results, leading
to parasitism, negligence and inefficiency and a subversion of norms
and standards which result in brain drain and psychological stress,
among others.
Finally, corruption
fosters criminal activity, undermines the judiciary and leads to
election manipulation by parties in power ultimately adversely
affecting political and economic development efforts.