The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya has explained why it is hard to catch the so-called “big fish” in corruption.
The ombudsman has revealed that it is hard for investigators to catch high-profile corrupt officials because they don’t leave behind paper trails.
Beti made these revelations at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala yesterday while responding to public grievances as to why the inspectorate and other government anti-corruption agencies end up targeting low-profile personalities.
She however revealed that the inspectorate is considering using the lifestyle audit to tackle corruption.
Lifestyle audits, also known as lifestyle checks or lifestyle monitoring, are accountability tools that can be used to detect and prevent corruption.
Such audits are typically conducted when the visible lifestyle or standard of living of an individual appears to exceed their known levels of income.
“The lifestyle audit will help us catch them because once people see their unexplained wealth, they will be able to tip us and that is why we are calling upon Ugandan to alert us,” she said.
The IGG announced that the President will officially launch the lifestyles audit campaign during the Anti-Corruption Day which is scheduled for December 9.
The United Nations General Assembly designated December 9 as the International Anti-Corruption Day for the global observance to promote awareness about the dangers of corruption and set strategies to eliminate it.
Uganda will join the rest of the world to commemorate the day under the theme; “Promoting Active Citizen Participation in Social Accountability”.
The ombudsman added that Usalama (Peace) radio drama series have been aired countrywide on 13 radio stations in English and a plethora of local tongues.
The drama is intended to influence listeners to choose lifestyles and attitudes that strengthen social values against corruption.