Chief Justice, Bart Katureebe has said laws and policies to fight corruption will not achieve much if parents are encouraging corrupt tendencies in the institutions of learning in the country.
He noted that the fact that many children grow up thinking practices like bribery are normal because of the way their parents raise them.
“We have students in primary level who are given money by their parents to go and bribe to become prefects, now a child who has bribed to become prefect in primary school, secondary school and went to university, how can he or she fight corruption after getting into pubic offices? “he asked.
He said the societal and cultural factors that encourage the acts of corruption in the institutions of learning must be addressed as a nation.
“A child who stole exams to pass primary, secondary and university; when those graduates come join the public service, parliament and become ministers, judges and so on how will they help in the fight against corruption?” he asked.
He made the remarks while addressing a joint meeting of anti-corruption agencies in Africa and beyond.
The meeting was held in Kampala to share ideas on how to strengthen regional Collaboration to prevent and combat corruption in Africa.
Some of the countries that attended include Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Algeria and among others.
There is belief that corrupt officials always invest their ill-gotten wealth in other countries.
Katureebe said that although there is a need for a law on recovering assets from the corrupt, there is lack of administrative and political will to fight the vice.
He cautioned the anti-corruption agencies to be aware of the corrupt ill intentions.
The former Inspector General of Government Irene Mulyagonja said there is need to have civil laws to check graft.
“The balance of proof in criminal proceeding is beyond reasonable doubt, now when you bring down to the civil level it is in the balance of probabilities so it is easier to recover asset on the balance of probabilities than using the criminal processes,” she said.
