By Muhimbise George
Last week, when the Minister of Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu was remanded to Luzira prison for stealing Karamoja iron sheets, a team of clergymen led by the Bishop of Mbale, went to check on her & to stand in solidarity with her.
Whereas the bible tells us to visit the prisoners, I doubt whether those men of God have ever visited the prisoners in Mbale prisons. Certainly, they visited Kitutu because she is a big person & perhaps has been contributing part of the “loot” to the church or to them as individuals!
The other reason was to send a political message to the powers that be that their own had been arrested! I suspect they must be doing some lobbying behind the curtains to have their own acquitted!
So these men of God will preach against corruption yet they are chief beneficiaries of corruption. They prepare front seats in their synagogues and Cathedrals for the same corrupt people and often glorify them more than the God they serve!
When Capt Mike Mukula was sentenced by the Anti-corruption Court, a delegation of the people from Teso went to the President to plead for their own!
When Prof Gilbert Bukenya was arrested over Chogm money a delegation went to the President to plead for his release!
The story is endless, it appears corruption is good as long as the accused is not “your own”.
Today all Bishops of the Church of Uganda and the recently consecrated clergymen in other denominations are driving cars donated by the President. You can only know what this means the day you invite an opposition leader to one of these Churches/mosques, you will find hard times!
Therefore in Uganda corruption is the way we live, it’s the new normal but we pretend to hate yet we practice it on a daily basis
Some people are not corrupt simply because they have no chance of stealing, but once given an opportunity, they would be worse.
Some people are corrupt but they haven’t been caught. Others are corrupt only because they are dealing with small monies, if they had an opportunity they would have stolen billions!
Look at this; Have you ever blamed your MP for not connecting you to a job opportunity? Have you ever asked a politician or senior civil servant for a job connection? That word “connection” borders with corruption, as long as you don’t want to pass through the laid down procedures, then that’s corruption!
Have you ever been bribed to get a job? Have you ever bribed a traffic officer on the road? Have you ever eaten any money from a politician during campaigns? For journalists have you ever killed a story because you have been given money? For doctors have you ever sold medicine from a government hospital or favoured someone just because he is from your family or home area?
What about engineers who sell cement & construction materials at building sites of rich men? What about those who steal road construction materials? What about the Ugandans who buy the same materials, are they different from Minister Lugolobi or Kitutu?
Do you come late for work or leave early and you don’t compensate this time and then you do this for a week, a month, or a year? Have you ever cheated on an exam or been bribed to have your child admitted to some school?
Have you evaded or avoided paying some tax to the URA? Have you ever under-declared your tax returns to the URA? Have you ever stolen electricity at home or yaka? Have you ever used a friend or colleague to help you get some service from any office without having to line up?
If you have ever done any of the above, then you are a corrupt soul! The only difference is that you don’t occupy a public office like Ministers Lugolobi or Kitutu!
Go to those NGOs and ask for accountability of donor funds they receive, go to Churches and mosques and ask for accountability for the many fundraisings they hold, go to public schools, hospitals, public Universities, local governments, SACCOs, etc, you will see what corruption means!
Go to youths groups, women groups, Emyoga or Parish Model group SACCOs, you will see real corruption! Ask political Parties to account for the money they receive from the government, you will see corruption with your naked eyes!
We have normalized corruption, it’s the way we live, from politicians to voters, from religious leaders to their followers, from public servants to civil society, from the government to opposition, corruption has become the norm and way of life!
Our country needs God’s intervention because the levels of moral decadence have gone beyond repair. It’s a pity but it’s the reality of a society we call home! Cry my motherland, Cry Uganda!
The author; Muhimbise George is a political analyst muhimbiseg@gmail.com
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