The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya, has raised alarm over the exploitation of junior public servants in the execution of corrupt schemes by powerful government officials. Kamya made the remarks while officially handing over the annual report of the Inspectorate of Government to Parliament on Tuesday.
The Speaker of Parliament was represented at the event by a parliamentary commissioner, AfoyoChan Esther.
According to Kamya, the Inspectorate has observed a recurring pattern where junior officers are used as conduits for embezzlement and abuse of public funds by their superiors.
In most cases, these junior staff members are ordered to withdraw money from government accounts, often without proper documentation or accountability, only to later bear the full brunt of investigations and legal consequences.
“Someone orders a junior officer: ‘I have a trip upcountry, go to the bank and bring me money.’ Eventually, the officer fails to get them to sign for it, and the money is never accounted for,” Kamya narrated.
She emphasised that during investigations, many of the junior officers break down in tears, admitting they handed over the funds to their bosses but are unable to provide evidence.
As a result, the accountability trail ends with them, and they are often convicted in court while the true culprits walk free.
“We have engaged these public servants and are empowering them to protect themselves,” Kamya said. “We are encouraging them to ensure that whoever takes public funds acknowledges receipt and assumes responsibility.”
She appealed to Parliament to treat this issue as a matter of national importance and to urgently create policy frameworks that shield junior public officers from undue pressure and victimisation.
“If someone asks you to issue out funds, ask them: ‘Can you please sign here that you have received the money?’” she advised, urging Parliament to strengthen internal controls that promote transparency and protect public servants from being coerced into illegal acts.
Kamya’s comments come at a time when Uganda continues to grapple with widespread corruption scandals, some of which involve top officials operating with impunity while lower-level employees take the fall.
Reports from the office of inspectorate of government have shown that Uganda loses close to Shillings 10 trillion in corruption.
The recent report from the transparency international haw placed Uganda as the 140th least corrupt country out of the 180 countries ranked globally