Those who steal using a pen steal more than those who use a gun

By Steven Masiga

The Nigerian singer Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti once sang and said that those who steal using a pen, steal more than those who use a gun. I am in agreement with his analogy, much as this brought trouble to him, it is a statement we should listen to with maximum attention.

A government that has nothing to take to the citizens won’t have a long political mileage, let us all fight corruption so as to guarantee the success of Government programs like PDM, UPE, roads seed schools etc and indeed corruption can be a strong source of political instability. Let us resist corrupt individuals.

Uganda has reasonable laws in place to nip corruption particularly the Ant _corruption Act 2009 and the penal code among other legislations in circulation to tame the vice.

With additional laws such as the Whistleblowers Act in place to protect those who volunteer corruption-related information, there is indeed dwindling space for corrupt behaviours in Uganda and those whose mindset is set on looting the state in a way should be updated about these serious criminal statutes in place.

Typically just like in George Orwell’s 1984 utopian novel where Big Brother has microphones, cameras and television screens fixed in, every corner of the house and nothing escapes his eyes, through the cameras and microphones he is able to hear any criminal activity from theft, political betrayal, loot of state asset his eyes are everywhere as whatever is done is common knowledge to him. Uganda may need such a level of vigilance if we are to surmount the corrupt  

 about 30% of Uganda’s budget may be ending up in the hands of corrupt citizens which undermines the development agenda of the country.

The most suitable techniques that organizations charged with  fighting the vice of corruption in Uganda can do  is to engage in serious sensitization of the vice through continuous media sensitization, radio programs and moving in any place schools, drinking places where some of these corrupt spend that the ill-gotten cash and iknow the IGG is trying to use techniques including the infamous lifestyle audit being fronted by Hon  Betty Namisango the chief ombudsman (woman)

Am also equally cognizant of the provisions of the law that cast innocence on all accused persons in all criminal matters particularly Art 28(3)(a) the above provisions are a corner state of a fair trial in all criminal matters which states that an accused person in any criminal matter is innocent until proven otherwise, meaning that the state has the corresponding burden of proving the guilt of an accused person beyond certain propositions.

Corruption if not well fought can cripple service delivery in the country which is the ultimate function of Government.

A government that is unable to fulfil its promises to the electorates will struggle to regain its legitimacy before the very citizens. 

In the bible when Jesus was hungry and sought to pick some figs from a fig tree, it actually had no figs as a knee-jack reaction Jesus cursed it. Conversely, a government that has nothing to take to the citizens its political mileage won’t be along one. The essence of a government is services to the people and corrupt syndicates can inhabit such a function.

The church, cultural institutions and every Ugandan have a duty to support the current initiatives by the Government to suppress corrupt behaviours.

The Ant Corruption Act, which is the mother law on corruption has been enlarged to even apply to NGOs including churches and private workplaces, let us know to be on the look and serve our people and not rob our people.

No culture teaches people to steal, but instead teaches our people to refrain from taking what does not belong to them, let us arm ourselves with our culture as we enter those offices, the Government networks on corruption are now too vigilant let us refrain from the vice.

The writer is a researcher from Mbale tel 0782231577.