KAMPALA - The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in partnership with the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) held the 2^nd JLOS Annual Anti-Corruption Forum on 28^th October 2020, as part of the Government annual anti-corruption campaign. The Forum was held under the theme “Technological Readiness for Effective Accountability in Pursuit of a National Middle-Income Status: A Critical Reflection on JLOS Anti-Corruption Legal Enforcement’. The focus was the operability and effectiveness of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Anti-Corruption Court Division of the High Court, in light of the use of technology.

The Forum was convened and presided over by Hon. Justice Jane Frances Abodo, the Director of Public Prosecutions who emphasised the importance of embracing technological capabilities to meet the contemporary crime challenges and manifestations, especially for white-collar crime. The Forum demonstrated how technological advancements have increased the sophistication of crime, now invisible to traditional crime management systems. Economic crime in particular, has a direct negative correlation with development and if left unchecked, can pave way for State capture. It can undermine and further delay Uganda’s development efforts and aspiration for a middle-income economic status.

Development Partners, including the United Nations Development Programme and the Austria Development Agency in Uganda emphasised the corrosive effect of corruption on Uganda’s economic growth and welfare of citizens. The poor and marginalised persons are prone to suffer a disproportionately higher burden of corruption when for instance seeking justice services or medical care. The Partners echoed their commitment to support Uganda’s development agenda, more so in the modernisation of the justice, law and order institutions, and building technological capabilities to effectively combat corruption. 

The Forum resolved to enhance institutional strengthening and integration, reforming and completing pipeline anti-corruption legislation, and embrace the required technologies. Embracing integrated modern hardware and software technologies, applying big data and machine learning to facilitate processes among the criminal justice chain-linked institutions, should be integrated with credible system security against hackers and internal breaches. The technological reforms should be matched with specialised human resource skilling and development of expert anti-corruption investigators, prosecutors and adjudicators. Matters of legality and admissibility of evidence sourced from local and international jurisdictions using mutual legal assistance procedures are equally very important. Therefore, investment in research and innovation in different spheres of technological development and application is key to ensure a holistic transformation. This is the reality of the fourth industrial revolution.

From a governance point of view, while modern technology minimises opportunistic corruption and enhances institutional efficiency, the transformation should be matched with sufficient sensitisation of duty bearers and the public to ensure informed and effective utilisation of the proposed developments. Stakeholder inclusion is central to ensure no one is left behind under this transformation in terms of access and operability for both duty bearers and the public. As a matter of caution, data protection, systems security, management and regard for human rights must be observed. Data privacy, confidentiality and protection are critical considerations that must be part of a technological revolution. The transformation must comply with modernisation and legality to maintain legitimacy and the rule of law of Uganda’s anti-corruption enforcement.

In attendance was Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo – Judge of the Anti-Corruption Court; AIGP Grace Akullo - the Director of Criminal Investigations in the Uganda Police Force; Mrs. Alice K. Khaukha – the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions; and Dr. Syliva Namubiru - the Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET) that explored current trends and gaps that need urgent redress. Dr. Anga R. Timilsina (Ph.D.), the Global Programme Advisor on Anti-corruption at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided a global perspective to embracing technology in anti-corruption law enforcement. The Forum was coordinated by the JLOS Secretariat, represented by the Senior Technical Advisor, Ms. Rachel Odoi-Musoke and attended by over 150 stakeholders from various government departments, civil society, the academia, development partners, and the general public.

 By Mudoi Musa

Published: October 29, 2020

JLOS institutions will tomorrow 4th December 2019 join H.E the President in the Anti-corruption walk.  The Chief Justice and Chairperson of the JLOS Leadership Committee Justice Bart Katureebe is expected to lead the Sector during the march to Kololo grounds where the main ceremony will be held.

Download the day's program below.

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Published: December 3, 2019

His Excellency the President will on Wednesday 4th December lead the country in a walk to highlight the gains made so far in the fight against corruption and announce the government’s plans to stem the vice going forward

The walk starting 8am, which will be held under the theme “A CORRUPTION-FREE UGANDA; IT STARTS WITH ME”, will see the President walk from Constitutional Square in the city centre to Kololo Independence Grounds—a distance of about four kilometres. Other government, religious, traditional and civil society leaders are expected to join the President in the walk. The Anti-Corruption walk will be part of Uganda’s participation in the Global recognition of the Anticorruption week, whose theme is “Promoting Accountability for National Development.”

READ PRESS STATEMENT

Published: November 26, 2019

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni today launched a new anti-corruption unit under the Office of the President that will receive and act on complaints related to corruption. This was during the Anti-corruption day celebrations held at Kololo independence grounds in Kampala attended by a cross-section of government agencies including JLOS institutions, members of the public and civil society organizations.

This unit to be headed by Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema is equipped with telephone and text messaging platforms that enable whistleblowers to pass on information on corruption anonymously (without revealing their identity). Callers will use the toll-free hotline 0800202500 to report cases of corruption.

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Published: December 10, 2018

The Justice law and Order Sector (JLOS) held a high level breakfast meeting on 04th December 2014 at Hotel African to discuss key issues in regard to the fight against corruption in Uganda, but with specific focus to the sector. This meeting was organized in partnership with stakeholders from the Accountability Sector as part of the buildup events towards the commemoration of the 2014 International Anti-Corruption week.

The theme of the dialogue was: “Fighting corruption in JLOS: A collective effort to promote integrity and enhance access to JLOS services for all”. The meeting was officiated by Hon. Justice Lawrence Gidudu, the deputy head of the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala. He noted that there is great urgency needed in the fight against corruption. He also said that currently there is a scheme of lawyers who forge death certificates of criminal suspects they represent in order to help them escape prosecution. He condemned this kind of behavior and called upon members to be on the lookout for such people. Justice Irene Mulyagonja, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) commended JLOS for joining the Accountability Sector in the fight against corruption.  

Relatedly, he Justice Law and Order Sector teamed up with partners from the Accountability Sector in a 2-day anti-corruption exhibition held at Nakumatt Oasis Mall in Kampala on the 4th - 5th December 2014. Institutions from the anti-corruption sector included; the Inspectorate of Government, Office of the Auditor General, Directorate of Ethics and Integrity and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority.

Public dialogue on anti-corruption
On December 4, 2014, the sector held a high level public dialogue on Anti-Corruption on 4th at the Imperial Royale Hotel Kampala. The public dialogue was officiated by Mr. Charles Elem Ogwal, the Chairperson of the Technical Committee. The theme of the dialogue was: “Building synergies in the fight against corruption to improve the administration of Justice and the rule of law in Uganda”. The theme underpinned two critical results of the fight against corruption, that is: the need to build partnerships (public and Private) to fight corruption in Justice Service delivery; and the realization of improved administration of Justice and the rule of law.

The objective of the dialogue was to discuss and reflect on the challenge of corruption that has bedeviled many public Institutions. Recent Anti-Corruption Surveys reveal that several JLOS Institutions appeared among the top most corrupt institutions in Uganda.

Ms Cissy Kagaba, Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Coalition of Uganda (ACCU) commended the sector on adopting and implementing various anti corruption measures citing the implementation of the JLOS Anti-Corruption Strategy as a necessary and welcome intervention. Ms Kagaba also commended the Sector for building synergies with civil society where information has been shared and action taken at the various levels of engagement.

Mr. Tadeo Asiimwe, Inspector of Courts in the Judiciary said that Corruption was a serious cancer and that need serious interventions for it to be combated successfully.

The Director Project Monitoring at the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) Mr.James Penywii, stated that Corruption was an evil cutting across all Institutions in both the Private and Public Sector. He also emphasized that JLOS must work within it’s member institutions to come up with strategies and devise action plans to fight corruption and make sure they are implemented.

Mr. Sentamu George Williams, from the Uganda Police in his submission said that the Uganda Police Force had developed new departments and directorates such as the Professional Standards Unit (PSU) which trains Police Officers to go out to the field and sensitize the community on crimes like corruption; and the Directorate of legal Services and Human Rights which focuses on handling complaints from the public – some of which may be related to corruption.

The Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) Human Rights and Accountability Working Group on September 12, 2014 held an interactive capacity-building workshop to enable a comprehensive understanding of the JLOS Anti-corruption Strategy, and initiate a process of developing institutional Anti-corruption strategies and work plans. These work plans will guide implementation of the strategy by the various JLOS institutions.

The workshop for key JLOS technical staff attracted a wide scope of participants that included; JLOS institutional Planning Officers, members of the Human Rights and Accountability Working Group, members of the JLOS Inspector’s Forum, chairpersons of working groups, members of the JLOS Secretariat and the Development Partners Group.

The Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) is one of the sectors provided for under the government Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) adopted in 1998 by the government of Uganda. The sector has been in existence for the last thirteen years and is made up of Seventeen (17) MDAs. Upon realization that the fight against corruption is ineffective without a clear strategy, the sector is in the process of formulating an anti corruption strategy.

The Justice Law and Order Sector Anti-Corruption Strategy is a framework designed to enable planning in order to make a significant impact on reducing corruption in the Sector institutions as well as building and strengthening the quality of accountability in the country as a whole. It will focus on Ministries, Departments and Agencies, which comprise the JLOS, members of staff and systems in order to contribute to the National Anti Corruption Strategy vision of Zero Tolerance for corruption to create an efficient and effective service delivery.

Corruption has been generally understood to mean “abuse of entrusted authority for illicit gain”. This broad definition includes any conduct or behavior in relation to persons entrusted with responsibilities in public office which violates their duties as public officials and which is aimed at obtaining undue gratification of any kind for themselves or for others”

In an area in which objective data is not readily available, perceptions and other assessments are some indicators of real levels of corruption. This makes corruption very hard to measure. . According to the World Bank and the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index as well as other local surveys like National Integrity Survey (NIS) and the Public Procurement Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), it is estimated that Uganda losses over 250 million US dollars of public resources per annum to corruption.

According to Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) 2010, JLOS institutions like the Uganda Police Force and the Judiciary are ranked among the top three corrupt institutions in Uganda. Uganda is placed among countries in which people reportedly most often (in comparison to other countries) have to pay bribes when entering into contact with institutions like the Police, Judiciary or customs. This reflects public mistrust, which heightens the crime rates and complicates the work of JLOS institutions in administration of justice in Uganda.

The National Anti Corruption Strategy identifies some key aspects of society that enable corruption to exist and flourish as follows;

• Public beliefs and attitudes;
• Ineffective accountability systems;
• Lack of political leadership and accountability;
• Moral decay in public service
• Limited capacity of anti-corruption agencies and the judicial system
• Delays in the legislative framework:

Other driving factors include but are not limited to;

• Poor staff motivation and/or remuneration;
• Poor organisational/institutional structures that do not clearly outline roles and responsibilities to specific officials;
• Poor internal controls and segregation of duties;
• Poor record keeping, archiving and tracking systems;
• Inadequate transparency, for example in prioritizing and sequencing the hearing of court cases or payment of court awards;
• Public ignorance about various procedures and rights;
• Lengthy court resolution timelines that lead to frustration of stakeholders who may resort to easier/faster options to achieve end results; and
• Political interference among others.

The JLOS Anti-corruption Strategy is therefore aimed at strengthening the sector’s capacity to deal with corruption, at strengthening integrity, transparency and service delivery within institutions, thus building public trust. This anti-corruption strategy has been developed for JLOS in order to give effect to the expressed commitment of the sector to fight corruption in the JLOS agencies. The Strategy places the emphasis on a broad sectoral effort while identifying specific institutional responsibilities as they apply.

The purpose of the JLOS Anti-corruption Strategy is to prevent and combat corruption through a multiplicity of supportive actions. This strategy is meant to provide JLOS with a holistic and an integrated approach to fighting corruption across institutions involved in the administration of justice. To enhance operational efficiency, the strategy will take a broad service wide approach to the promotion of accountability by exploited synergies that already exist like the 3Cs; coordination, co-operation and communication to ensure harmonization and standardization.

The Anti-Corruption strategy will together with the already existing mechanisms and strategies prevent and deter corruption in the JLOS Institutions, put in place standards of behavior and systems for detection, investigations and punishment of corruption. It will also enlist support from members of the public, civil society and other governmental organizations that are involved in the fight against corruption. The strategy is thus a mixture of preventive and combative mechanisms against corruption and maladministration in the JLOS.

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JLOS Anti-Corruption Strategy