KAMPALA, UGANDA — More than 130,000 senior Ugandan government workers, or 35% of the civil service, paid bribes to secure their jobs, according to a new study by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG).
The report, released Monday by Inspector General Beti Kamya, found that civil servants paid between 3 million and 50 million Ugandan shillings (about $800 to $13,500) to get hired. The findings are based on a study conducted in partnership with the Economic Policy Research Centre at Makerere University, which examined hiring by District Service Commissions (DSCs) between 2018 and 2022.
Kamya said the corruption has led to unqualified people holding key positions.
“Many of those who bribed for jobs don’t have the required qualifications,” Kamya said. “If you have a district engineer, teacher, health officer, or agriculturalist not qualified for the jobs, it’s the reason we are seeing buildings collapsing, shoddy work on roads, because people in the office are not supposed to be there.”
Corruption at All Levels
The report detailed a wide range of corrupt practices, including forgery of documents, impersonation, and fake job advertisements. The study found that job applicants at the local government level were asked for an estimated 78 billion shillings ($21 million) in bribes, with actual payments totaling about 29 billion shillings ($7.8 million) during the four-year period.
The education sector recorded the highest bribe requests, while the health sector had the highest actual payments. Bribes varied by seniority, with amounts for senior department heads reaching up to 50 million shillings, while lower-level positions like nursing assistants and primary teachers saw payments of around 3 million shillings.
Eighty-two percent of applicants identified bribery as the most common form of corruption in the hiring process, particularly during shortlisting and interviews. The study found that members of the DSCs were the most likely to demand bribes, followed by nepotism, favoritism, and political patronage.
Officials Acknowledge Findings, Pledge Reforms
The study also highlighted challenges faced by DSCs, including political interference, inadequate funding, and weak supervision. The report recommended several reforms, such as raising qualifications for DSC members, increasing their salaries, and using e-recruitment systems to reduce malpractice.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, speaking on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni, said the government’s decision to decentralize recruitment was meant to fight corruption, and she called on all stakeholders to use the report’s findings to “formulate reforms to uphold integrity.”
Benjamin Kumumanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, acknowledged the report’s findings, stating that since district officials did not dismiss the report, there must be “some truth in it.” He urged the IGG’s office to provide names of officials responsible for selling jobs so they can be held accountable.
Ms. Catherine Bitarakwate, Permanent Secretary of Public Service, said the ministry is reviewing its rewards and sanctions policy to better address corrupt officials. Kamya said the Inspectorate has already secured the dismissal of more than 450 civil servants over corruption.
