Bushenyi District Establishes Integrity Forum to Combat Corruption

District leaders and accountability institutions in western Uganda have established a new Integrity Forum to bolster transparency, fight corruption, and enhance public service delivery. The forum, officially launched in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, consists of 23 key stakeholders from both government and civil society.

Members of this crucial body include the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), district chairperson, Chief Magistrate, Resident State Attorney, and representatives from the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), the Auditor General’s office, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and various civil society organizations.

The initiative aims to create a coordinated local mechanism for addressing accountability concerns. Dunstan Balaba, Permanent Secretary in the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity within the Office of the President, emphasized the importance of grassroots accountability. He noted that many government funds allocated for poverty eradication programs, such as the Parish Development Model, do not always reach beneficiaries as intended, often due to a lack of awareness about reporting mechanisms.

Bushenyi’s RDC, Emmy Ngambirano, stated that the forum will review ethical issues, corruption, and transparency across all sectors. The goal is to deter corruption at the local level before it escalates. The forum is expected to act as an early warning system and provide a structured platform for resolving accountability issues, thereby improving service delivery.

District Chairperson Prosper Twebaze highlighted that the forum would help address integrity concerns that have previously tarnished the district’s public image, allowing for internal resolution of misunderstandings and disagreements. Lee Kakonge, chairperson of the Western Ankole Civil Society Forum (WACSOF), welcomed the structured approach, noting that previous corruption issues had often been politicized.

This new platform is anticipated to promote ethical leadership and strengthen accountability within public institutions by providing a focused avenue for addressing these critical governance challenges. This is reported by the Daily Monitor.