The Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, delivered a keynote address at a luncheon to commemorate efforts by anti-corruption agencies in the fight against corruption.
The luncheon was organized by State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) and held at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala.
The Chief Justice called upon leaders to promote ethical values and integrity. “The fight against corruption is not simply a selfish or vain effort – it is a pre-requisite to good governance and good public service. We should bear in mind what we want to achieve as we redirect our efforts to tackle corruption – those efforts are not simply directed at the elimination of a negative but they are in fact targeting the achievement of higher ideals – good governance and good public service.”
The head of the Judiciary shared the approaches adopted to curb corruption in courts. These included institutionalization of the fight through the work of Inspectorate of Courts, the Judicial Integrity Committee, continuous sensitization of staff, and improving terms and conditions for all staff of the Judiciary.
Adding that the Judiciary has contributed to national efforts against corruption through adjudication at the Anti-Corruption Court, sensitization by the Public Relations Unit, and coordination of stakeholders using chain-linked programs and court open days.
He called for collaboration among anti-corruption agencies in order to achieve the desired goal. “We cannot tackle corruption in isolation – we must do so together, in a concerted and systematic effort. The maintenance of strong working relationships amongst anti-corruption agencies is therefore crucial,” he said.
The head of SH-ACU, Col Edith Nakalema, reminded the stakeholders who included the Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabanjja, the Attorney General, SC Kiryowa Kiwanuka, Director of Public Prosecution, Hon. Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, the Inspector General of Government, Hon. Beti Kamya, among other senior Government officials that the luncheon was the beginning of the Anti-Corruption Week.
The climax of these activities will be on December 9, 2021, with the commemoration of the International Anti-Corruption Day.
On her part, Ms Jane Barekye, the State House Controller, thanked the CJ for honoring the invite and for his commitment to fight corruption.
