The other day there was a march dubbed “Corruption Walk” in Kampala led by none other than President Yoweri Museveni. Commentators and pundits did not know what to make of this, because it was not clear how shutting down the City and inviting crowds to aimlessly march would help ease the scourge of corruption. But such was the day.
Symbolically one can say it was a good gesture, but unless it is followed by meaningful and stern action all this will have been a dance in the dark.
In fact it was very costly to close streets down and affect the smooth running of government and private businesses. The jury is still out on how effective this was, but judging from how corruption cases have been handled before one wonders whether this march will achieve anything, or was worth the cost to the taxpayer.
This Monday in Kigali, across the border, corruption was being tackled in a different way and in a different style.
President Kagame and HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar were joined by the President of Namibia Hage Geingob, and the AU Commision Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat to unveil a new anti-corruption monument in Kigali, but also send out a clear message and warning that there are severe consequences for those who engage in such shenanigans.
President Geingob said that corruption is a case that “all of us need to lift hands and fight against.”
“But to do that, transparency plus accountability spells trust. We leaders need to be transparent and accountable so that people can regain trust in us,” he noted. He went on to say that when he became President he declared all his assets and asked all public officials to follow suit.
President Geingob hit the nail on the head when he said that corruption is not an African disease. He said, “For those who think corruption is African, then Who comes to corrupt Africa?”
At the end of the day it is all a question of effective leadership.
There were four categories for the Anti-Corruption Excellence (ACE) Award dedicated to the fight against corruption and the promotion of the rule of law.
Kenneth Kaunda, the founding President of Zambia received the Lifetime and Outstanding Award, and befittingly so, because reportedly when he lost the election and retired from politics he had a mere $5,000 on his bank account.
The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani International “Anti-Corruption Excellence Award” (ACE) is being held in Africa for the first time.
Rwanda’s fight against corruption in the last 25 years has been remarkable, though the work is not done. At least corruption with impunity has been curtailed and the cost of such conduct made severe. Across the border there are no consequences to this ignoble behavior.
In 2018 the Consumer Price Index (CPI) listed the following African countries in their order of the list corrupt out of 173 countries surveyed;
Botswana – 64
Rwanda – 53
Tanzania – 33
Kenya – 27
Uganda – 28
The Spectator Index for 2019 lists the fastest growing economies, and Rwanda scores 7.8%, Ivory Coast 7.5%, Ghana 7.5%, Ethiopia 7.4%, Benin 6.6%, Mauritania 6.6%, Gambia 6.5%, and Niger 6.3%. Figures don’t lie.
As Rwanda forges ahead much remains to be done, but the message has been made clear: corruption retards development and progress and it will not be tolerated. The consequences are dire.
