Uganda’s anti-corruption strategy is increasingly leaning on one key tool: mandatory wealth declarations by public officials.
According to Deputy Inspector General of Government Patricia Achan, the declaration of income, assets, and liabilities is central to detecting and preventing corruption within public institutions.
“This exercise helps us quickly detect and fix cases of corruption. It reduces opportunities for corrupt practices and strengthens accountability,” she explained.
Under the Leadership Code Act, all public officers are required to declare their financial standing. These declarations are then subjected to compliance checks by the Inspectorate of Government.
Officials analyze whether a public officer’s declared wealth aligns with their known sources of income—a process that helps flag unexplained wealth and potential illicit enrichment.
Achan noted that corruption takes many forms, including bribery, abuse of office, and misuse of government property. Regardless of scale, all cases are treated seriously.
“For us, corruption is corruption whether big or small,” she said, dismissing the public perception that only high-profile cases matter.
Once irregularities are identified, cases are investigated and forwarded to the Leadership Code Tribunal, which handles prosecutions related to breaches of conduct.
Penalties for non-compliance or misconduct can be severe, ranging from fines and demotion to dismissal and imprisonment.
The Inspectorate is also pursuing recovery of lost public funds. Achan revealed that individuals who have caused financial loss to the government are being tracked, with prosecutions expected if recoveries are not made.
At the same time, she hinted at ongoing investigations into high-profile cases. “Ugandans are still looking for big fish—we have them, and very soon you will see them coming out,” she said.
Beyond enforcement, the declaration system is also designed to build institutional trust. By promoting transparency and accountability, it aims to reassure citizens that public officials are being held to clear ethical standards.
In a system where “human beings are complicated,” as Achan put it, wealth declarations provide a structured way to uncover misconduct that might otherwise remain hidden.
As Uganda intensifies its anti-corruption efforts, the success of this approach will likely depend on one critical factor: whether public officers not only declare but do so truthfully.