BY KATAMU NEDINANI
Junior civil servants have told the IGG Beti Olive Namisango Kamya-Turomwe that they are reluctant to report cases of corruption due to dependence on tokens received from their superiors.
In the ongoing campaign to tackle corruption within government institutions, the IGG, during a meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala on Wednesday urged civil servants to avail information regarding corrupt practices.
However, during the interaction, several junior civil servants conveyed their dilemma to the IGG, emphasizing their dependence on tokens or minor favors from their superiors to complement their meager incomes.
“As a secretary, I receive 220,000 Shillings per month, and many times we go months before receiving this money. Now, if the boss offers a significant sum from a questionable deal, I know it’s illegal, but I choose to turn a blind eye and accept whatever is given to me in peace because the government has failed to address our pleas for salary enhancement,” the junior support staff noted.
Her statement was met with applause, indicating that her sentiments resonated with the majority in the room. Another civil servant shared her experience of struggling to afford transportation to the office and school fees for her children on the meager salary provided.
She candidly said that when faced with financial hardships, receiving a large sum of 2 million shillings, for example, from a superior is accepted with gratitude and warmth. She emphasized further, illustrating how valuable these tokens are in her life.
She explained that she can even go as far as tithing from it, viewing it as a divine blessing. She firmly declared that there was no way she could report a corrupt senior officer who had offered a token from these dealings.
Many staff members acknowledged that they possess significant information they could share with the IGG. A driver mentioned that they often transport senior officials to various locations where they engage in investigating looted money, and in some cases, they even assist in collecting ill-gotten gains.
