Uganda loses approximately $2.5 billion to corruption annually, which accounts for nearly a quarter of its national budget, according to Beti Kamya Turwomwe, head of the Inspectorate of Government.
This stark revelation underscores the urgent need to address the persistent issue of corruption in the East African nation, which ranks a dismal 141 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s corruption index.
Despite President Yoweri Museveni‘s repeated promises of reform, recent scandals involving public officials have ignited anti-corruption protests.
Turwomwe stated, “The country loses about 9.144 trillion shillings ($2.5 billion) annually, money enough to cover 23% of this year’s national budget.”
She emphasised that these staggering losses not only deprive citizens of essential services but also undermine their basic rights, calling for a united effort to combat corruption.
Her department has recovered a mere $2 million of the misappropriated funds, a situation she attributed to inadequate funding and staffing. This alarming assessment follows an annual report presented to Parliament based on research from the Government Transparency Institute.
It identified the environmental protection sector as the most corrupt, with estimated losses of 2.8 trillion shillings, or $700 million, each year.
Additionally, utility costs linked to bribing officials for essential services like water and electricity contribute to nearly $130 million in losses. The report acknowledged that these estimates may be conservative, as some costs are difficult to quantify due to a lack of data.
Compounding public frustration, Museveni’s recent pardon of a government official who had served five years of a ten-year sentence for embezzling $1.2 million has sparked outrage among civil society groups. This incident underscores the pressing need for genuine accountability in the fight against corruption.