A bare-knuckle confrontation with corruption is the way to go.

On the 30th of April 2024, the UK government imposed sanctions on high profile Ugandan politicians; The Speaker of Uganda’s parliament Annet Anita Among, former Minister for Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kiitutu and former Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu. In this accord, the UK government imposed travel bans and asset freezes on the stated persons on charges corruption. These sanctions came to public knowledge through the United Kingdom Deputy Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell.

One may question under what criterion are the sanctions imposed, and how authentic they are. In the year 2021, with the aim of mitigating corruption in the world, the UK introduced the Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regulations 2021. It aims at sanctioning individuals and entities anywhere in the world for their involvement in bribery or misappropriation of property involving a foreign public official.

Actions of corruption drive us back to the “Ethics” drawing board. What is required of us as we serve the public as leaders? Do we desire what we have done to others be done to us? Before we embark on some trails of actions, we need to be mindful of their effects to society and think how perilous or how innocuous they can affect an individual. At the back of our minds, we need to hold high our dignity with a lot of esteem. Corruption is an evil necessitating eradication with immediate effect. Why would an individual, a government minister, entrusted with a task to oversee and implement government policies, instead violate them? As a minister, one is responsible for the effectiveness and efficiency of the agencies within their portfolio. As such, their task is solely to make a follow-up of government programmes and advice where necessary, and obviously if knowledgeable of what they do, so that policies put up are met for the good of society and the welfare of the populace. Actions like these confuse the electorate. Why should a chicken thief in the village be victimized yet his trainers in the state chambers are walking scot-free?

In response to the sanctions, Hon. Among claims that these sanctions slapped at her are a political witch-hunt. To her, she is ground on her significant role in enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Act. It is very laughable that she provides the Anti-Homosexuality act as the reason for the sanctions, but cannot permit the legislators in the August house to table motions aimed at bringing to light the allegations of corruption in the parliament she leads. If her supportive premise is factual as she asserts, why didn’t the UK government sanction the bill sponsor? It is so heartbreaking that those we entrust with the mandate to ensure progress and prosperity for a better Uganda are instead on a mission to derail it from the desired course.

Hardly had a month elapsed when the United States of America imposed other sanctions on the same officials because of the same charges. The American government sanctioned these officials over “significant corruption and gross violations” of human rights. Hon. Anita Among, Minister of state for Finance Amos Lugoloobi, former Minister for Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kiitutu, former Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu and former Deputy Chief of Defense Forces Peter Elwelu. The State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Hon. Among’s sanctioning came up due to her involvement in significant corruption tagged to her leadership of Uganda’s Parliament. The honorable Kitutu, Nandutu and Lugoloobi, were as well sanctioned because of their involvement in significant corruption related to misconduct that abused public resources and diverted resources meant to serve the needy. Lt. Gen. Elwelu was barred due to his involvement in the 2016 Kasese extrajudicial killings that were committed by UPDF on his commands, living over 100 civilians massacred.

As stated earlier, our actions not only affect us but also society. The other people who faced these sanctions are Kitutu’s spouse, Michael George Kitutu, Among’s husband, Hon. Moses Magogo and Lugoloobi’s wife, Evelyn Nakimera, on basis of their spouses mischievous actions.

It is on record that after being reelected in 2021, President Museveni promised to crack down corruption. These utterances did not raise the populace’s optimism because of their banality. Occasionally, we have heard the fountain of honour commenting about the corrupt in a way that is rather babysitting. Remember when he cautioned the Inspector General of Government on the move to do a lifestyle audit arguing that this move to curb the corrupt will scare them off and invest abroad yet they would instead invest within the country. What a joke!

In depth, it seems that the president may be advocating for corruption, and such, government agencies on that anti-corruption mission have no choice other than following the voice of the master. It is clear that this impunity has an upper hand. Second, the internal government organs have seemingly lost the battle to corruption. Many questions come up at the thought of these actions. Therefore, since we as the state have failed to act against the corrupt, the move by the international community comes in as a source of refuge to the crying citizen. This move will induce sense and actualize the kind of action required to curb this vice. I think we have heard this song dubbed corruption for more than enough, probably by this way, it will get outshined.

In reflection, it is a self-manifestation of how our actions not only affect us alone, in the present time, but also others, and in the time to come. Preserving virtues of coherence, honesty, transparency and concern for the others is not a choice but paramount, especially when entrusted with leadership. It is imperative to denounce corruption with unyielding vigor, a call to stand unbendable against corruption's treacherous grip, steadfast in our obligation to uphold the highest ethical canons for the betterment of the entirety.