Overview of Corruption in

East Africa in todays

Environment
By Peter Wandera
Executive Director
Transparency International Uganda.

Outline of Presentation

Introduction

Transparency International

Measures of Corruption
Common corruptions practices
Why corruption has persisted?
Legal and institutional frameworks
Recommendations

TRANSPARENCY
INTERNATIONAL UGANDA
Formed 1993
The Global Coalition against corruption
Present in Over 100 Countries
In East Africa
TI-KENYA
TI RWANDA
TI BURUNDI
TI UGANDA

What is Corruption?

Transparency International

defines corruption as the abuse of

entrusted power for private gain.
The Inspectorate of Government
Act 2002 Section 2 defines
corruption as abuse of public
.
office for private gain.

Corruption in East Africa : Myth or

Reality?
EA continues to demonstrate negative reviews

concerning its corruption record.

The latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) compiled
by Transparency International (TI) places Uganda in the
139th position out of the 167 countries, Kenya 139,
Burundi 150, Tanzania 117 and Rwanda 44 th
Uganda, Kenya, Burundi have perpetually scored
below 30%, Tanzania has averaged 30 - 32% and
Rwanda has been slightly above 50% mark
In East African Bribery Index, over the years has
highlighted cases of bribery across the region..

REGIONAL CPI RANKINGS 20112012

201

2011
2 2013 2014 2015

Avg
Score

Kenya

154 139

136 145 139

Tanzania

100 102

111 119 117

<30%
30%
-35%

Burundi

172 165

157 159 150

<30%

Rwanda
Uganda

49

50

143 130

49

55

44 50-55%

140 142 139

<30%

EABI Country Scores

201
201

2011
22013
4
29.
Kenya
28.8
5 7.9 12.3
Tanzani
39.
a
31.6
1 12.9 19
18.
Burundi 37.9
8 18.6 19.4

Sector Performance Judiciary

Y201 Y201 Y201 Y201 Y201
Country 0
1
2
3
4

Uganda
Burundi
Kenya
Rwanda
Tanzani
a

50
52
59

59
50
44

44
63
30
6

42
48
38
24

31
35
47
37

75 76 45 38 42

Sector Performance Police

Countr Y201 Y201 Y201 Y201 Y201
y
0
1
2
3
4
Uganda 71 81 85 60 84
Burundi 80 78 63 64 73
78 80 72 71 68
Kenya
Rwand

38 54 47
a
Tanzani
85 83 83 73 83
a

Sector Performance Lands

services

Countr Y201 Y201 Y201 Y201 Y201

y
0
1
2
3
4
Uganda 32 59 27 47 60

36 52 42
Burundi
53 56 70 47 55
Kenya
Rwand
12
15
12

a
Tanzani
44 45 20 27 36
a

Sector Performance Tax services

EABI Trends Analysis 2010-2014

Y201 Y201 Y201 Y201 Y201

Country
0
1
2
3
4

Uganda
Burundi
Kenya
Rwand

a
Tanzani
a

77 65 33 20 15
90 69 36 16 20
41 28 14 15 23

7 19 10

53 47 11 37 14

Paying the Price of Corruption

In 2005, the World Bank reported that approximately

$300 million USD is lost in corruption and

procurement in Uganda.
In 2006, the Procurement Integrity Survey (PPDA)
reported that Uganda loses approximately least $150
million USD through corruption in public procurement.
In 2007, the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)
reported that Uganda loses over $256.6 million USD
annually through corruption in procurement.

Common corruption practices

in EA
Petty/Small Corruption or Survival Corruption

Use of public office or position for private benefit in the

course of delivering a public service.

The use of facilitation payments. Words such as;
chai, airtime and transport are commonly used in this
practice.
Lower level officials are constantly bribed by smaller
amounts of money to accelerate or facilitate a decision. The
person bribing the official often has a legal claim which may
be unduly delayed or withheld pending payment.

Types of Corruptions Ctd

Grand Corruption
Grand corruption includes the most dangerous and high

levels of corruption in which external interests are illegally

abused at the highest levels of a system to achieve private ends.
Senior public officials demand or obtain bribes or kickbacks
to ensure that government or public contracts are awarded to
particular companies.
Involves diversion of colossal amount of funds and resources
for personal benefit of the public officer concerned. It is often
referred to as, corruption by greed.

Types of Corruptions Ctd

Conflict of Interest
A private or personal interest which influences
the objectivity of his or her official duties as a
public official, employee or professional.
Public servants and key officials in leading
companies open up businesses in their line of duty
and hence giving all businesses to themselves at the
expense of the organisation.
Compromises the objectivity of supervision and
quality of goods or services delivered.

Types of Corruptions Ctd

Blackmail/ Harassment/ Influence Peddling
A public official withholds services and demands for
favours.
A contractor secures employment through threats.
Demanding for sexual favours, indirect harassment,
withholding promotions etc.
Threats of reprisals for non conformity. (For example,
demotion or loss of employment)
Psychological Fear An extortion tactic used to gain
money. Corrupt officials prey on the public; normally they
work alongside like-minded officials to fabricate felonious
charges against an alleged suspect to instil fear and
exploit the individual with bribes, favours, etc.

Types of Corruptions Ctd

Syndicates (Mafias)

Networks of strategically placed public officials who connive

to embezzle public funds with impunity.
One ministry connives with other ministries to favour
particular service provider
Service providers form cartels and ensure their business
interests are met.
Political patronage. Politically well placed or connected
individuals form and connive to benefit from government
projects.

Types of Corruption Ctd

Management by Crisis
Deliberate delays in planning in
order for public officials to create a
crisis and an excuse to stampede the
procurement process.
Complicate procurement or
Administrative process to create crisis

Anti Corruption Legislation

Signatory to international anti corruption
conventions
United Nation Convention Against
Corruption (UNCAC)
African Union Convention on Prevention
And Combating Corruption (The
Convention)
Agencies members of the East African
Association of Anti corruption Agencies
(EAAACA)

Anti Corruption Legislation

UGANDA

Penal Code
Anti Corruption Act 2015 (As amended)
Leadership Code Act 2002
Inspectorate of Government Act 2002
Public Procurement and Disposal of Public
Assets Act 2003
Access to Information Act 2003
Whistle blowers act 2010
Public Finance and Management Act 2015
Money laundering act 2013

Anti Corruption Legislation

KENYA

Ethics and Anti Corruption Commissions act 2011

Elections Campaign Financing Act 2013
Leadership and Integrity Act 2012
Proceeds of Crime and Anti Money laundering
Act 2009
Witness protection act 2006
Public Officers Ethics Act 2004
Ant Corruption and Econimc Crimes Act 2003

Anti Corruption Legislation

TANZANIA

Prevention and Combating Corruption Act

Ant money launderind act 2006
Public Procurement act 2004
Election Expenses Act
Public Leadership and Ethics act 1995

Anti Corruption Bodies

Ministry

of Ethics and
Integrity- Uganda
Inspectorate of Government
(IG) Uganda
Ethics and Ant Corruption
Commission (EACC) Kenya
Prevention and Combating of
Corruption Bureau (PCCB)
Tanzania
Office of the Ombudsman
-Rwanda

TIU and local authorities working to bring

justice to a land-grabbing issue.

Anti Corruption Bodies

Ministry

of Ethics and
Integrity- Uganda
Inspectorate of Government
(IG) Uganda
Ethics and Ant Corruption
Commission (EACC) Kenya
Prevention and Combating of
Corruption Bureau (PCCB)
Tanzania
Office of the Ombudsman
-Rwanda

TIU and local authorities working to bring

justice to a land-grabbing issue.

Why the corruption?

Greed
Greed is a major cause of corruption, especially
in cases of grand corruption. Out of greed for
more money, wealthy individuals often embezzle
public funds.
Glorifying the rich
There is a tendency in Africa to treat rich people
as heroes or celebrities within their local
communities.

Causes Cont. (2)

Risk to Cost Ratio
Corruption increases when
the risks involved are lower
compared to the benefits to
be gained.
Political patronage
Sometimes the corrupt have
benefited from high-level
protection from prosecution.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/466685
580113076662/

Causes Cont. (2)

Changing face of corruption
New tricks being used by the corrupt. Reinviting methods of engaging and devising
ways of evasion
Increased use of ICT
Seen as a blessing but has also been used to
commit major Acts of corruption

Causes Cont. (3)

Public tolerance of the evil: when the public

starts to think that corrupt practices such as small

bribes demanded by, say, are normal, it not only
encourages but it worsens the practices. In the
course of time, services that are supposed to be free
will not be provided unless some money is paid.

Recommendations

Strengthen National anti-corruption bodies

legal and institutional reforms on anti-corruption,
build capacities, provision of adequate resources and
equipment.
Introduction of anti-corruption initiatives at
institutional level
This could include among others, instituting codes of
conduct and ethics of public officers, regular anticorruption training for public officers, having
complaints resolution mechanisms that are able to
receive and resolve corruption incidents at the
institutional level.

Recommendations
Political will
The governments in the region need to invest more
political will in tackling corruption. The fact that there
have been many policy and legal reforms across the
countries in the review period while the vice persists may
be indicative that the problem partially lies elsewhere.
Continued Civic education
Both governmental and non-governmental bodies need
to strengthen their public education and information
efforts on corruption. This intervention will make the
general public a more active player in demanding better
services.

Recommendations
Stronger regional anti-corruption initiatives
The governments should strengthen regional
approaches to anti-corruption especially through
regional mechanisms like the East African
Community Secretariat. In particular the
actualization of the East African Community
Protocol on Good Governance should be hastened.
Secondly, the East African Association of AntiCorruption Authorities (EAAACA) should be
supported to play a stronger coordination role
across the region.

Recommendations
Automation and integrated systems
It has been found that use of
automation reduces incidences of
bribery
Use of automation makes it easier and
faster to track corruption
Use of integrated and harmonized
systems across the region one stop
centers

Our Role in the Fight Against

Corruption

To realize that the fight against

corruption is a collective effort
Whistle blowing: sound the
alarm on cases of corruption
Promotion of integrity
Shaming corruption and
recognizing it as a detrimental
actor to our society, rather than
worshipping the short-term
benefits that it brings.
Condemning the get rich
quick culture

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-363840200/stockvector-stop-corruption-vector-flat-illustration.html?
src=4SElFlKB_jzutkwwphzUSA-1-1

Thank You