Pius Bigirimana, the Permanent Secretary of the Judiciary has revealed that Masaka district is the most corrupt district in the country, with the leading number of Corruption cases.
Bigirimana who vowed to fight against corruption was launching the new judicial staffs’ uniforms at the High Court in Kampala on Wednesday.
He said that staff especially from the areas of Masaka had been receiving payments which were illicit from the members of the public
“Corruption has been happening in a number of ways including receipt of gifts and money from litigants by the judiciary officials to influence court proceedings that he said,” he said
Apparently these were also collecting money for court filing, fines and bail deposits of which all payments for court services were meant to be made through commercial banks and e-payments system
A thing that has greatly affected the proper service delivery to members of the public
He however noted that various disciplinary organs have dismissed; three staff, 15 interdicted and 30 on reprimand and that institution has started a “serious” war against corruption in the judiciary.
“I can assure you we have started (the war against corruption).One year from now, we shall call you to give an update,” Bigirimana said
Adding that they had put in place other anti-corruption measures like wearing of staff identity cards, customer helplines, CCTV cameras, disciplining of errant staff and the information desk
All these were to be put in place in addition to the new uniforms that were to be worn by the clerks and other staff uniforms, magistrates gowns and judges robes which was to help them be easily identified by members of the public while at court premises at failure to do so Tanta mounted to indiscipline cases
“At least 550 support staff including court clerks and drivers will be given three sets of uniforms that they are expected to wear at all times while on duty,” he said
Adding that nobody will be spared in other cases if any staff receives court fees from litigants and distort information in court
The changes came in as recommendations in the 2020 Judiciary Anti-Corruption Taskforce report which emphasized uniforms for all support staff to ease identification.
This was one of the many ways they have thought of in the fight against corruption so that everyone at court premises is identified.
“It takes a lot to fight corruption because it is sophisticated but the most important thing is that we are determined to fight corruption,” he emphasized
Adding that however ineffective the introduction of uniform may seem to appear there was always a start to everything and that the war against the vice has now kicked off.
Last month the police department also lauched a new uniform for the traffic officers sightinh among other challenges; the comfortability when it came to women during their “red zone,” high levels of impunity and corruption, hygiene among others that later prompted the AIGP, Asan Kasingye to make a public statement warning the police offices not to taint the bad image of (corruption) in the new inform
The judiciary a body meant to shape the society came second to police during the anti-corruption report that was released early this year
