By Felix Oketcho
Kampala: Tired of alarming corruption tendencies in public entities, Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa has asked education institutions a hand in curbing the vice.
Officiating Uganda Management Institute (UMI)’s 19th graduation ceremony where 2811 public servants received post graduate diplomas, Masters and PHDs, Tayebwa said education institutions can play pivotal role by training corrupt free public officers to man public offices and stop all forms of corruption.
“I wish to congratulate UMI upon training most of Public officers in public agencies and local government leaders in management programmes to enhance service delivery however I challenge them to pass out corrupt free managers who help us curtail corruption that is eating up resources in most agencies,” Tayebwa said.
He issued a directive to the institute to collaborate with Inspectorate of Government, Parliament and Auditor General’s Office through its corruption study Centre to conduct research and dialogues on corruption to fight the vice.
Tayebwa said corruption in public sector is hindering attainment of vision 2040 and national development plans.
According to IGG Betty Kamya a total of sh20trillion is lost due to corruption in Uganda annually.
Established in 1969 as an institute of Public Administration and an agency of the ministry of Public service, UMI is responsible for providing in service training to public servants in Uganda.
Dr James Nkata Institute Executive Director pledged to tackle the vice but asked Parliament to approve their budget for infrastructure master plan.
“We are ready to work together with parliament in fighting corruption but on other hand we seek their support in approving our budget.We were informed of his excellence instructions to ministry of education and sports to present a cabinet paper to cabinet to consider allocating sh 65billion to Uganda management institute for infrastructure development,” Nkata said.
He said the Insitute is set to embark on second phase of estates master plan which necessitates creation of state of the art training and research spaces and self sustenance.
“We have the architectural and artistic impression of an environmentally friendly and 15 storey structure. It will have the biggest convention centre in Eastern Africa,” he said.
“UMI also plans to roll out anti corruption study centre. This is aimed at studying the behavioural tendencies that have plunged agencies and social impacts of corruption on national development plan. The Centre is advanced stages of partnership with the inspectorate of Government and Auditor General of Office and other accountability sector institutions to curtail corruption,” Nkata added.
