US Ambassador to Uganda Deborah Malac says $640,850 was last year recovered following publication of investigative reporting series that exposed corruption cases in the country’s local governments.
Speaking at the launch of US 2017 Report to the Ugandan People, Malac says the sum of money was recovered in 28 local government following procurement audits in eight districts. The process resulted into conveyance of public hearings involving parliament’s local government public accounts, public procurement and disposal of public assets authority, office of the Attorney General and civil society.
Corruption is considered as one of the greatest barriers to Uganda’s economic development. Alluding to statistics, in 2017, Uganda was ranked 151 out of 176 countries in the Global Corruption Perceptions Index.
“Much work remains, however, Uganda faces major challenges that will continue for the foreseeable future. Ultimately, Uganda’s people and government will chart their own destiny. We are here to support their dreams and their efforts for a better future,” she said.
The report covers agricultural sector, health, prosperity, security, democracy, and strong education.
It indicts that U.S. government is collaborating with local authorities, the media, and civil society to help Ugandans in the fight against corruption, improve government transparency, strengthen the quality of public services, and increase dialogue between government and the public.
“US through United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is committed to improving the accountability and responsiveness of Uganda’s systems to ensure sustainable development,” states in part of the report.