June 11, 2024. The Head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), Brigadier General Henry Isoke, presided over the 3rd Virtual National Students Anti-Corruption Challenge Awards 2024 as Chief Guest. The event, organized by the National Debate Council Uganda (NDC) and hosted by Canon Benson Turamye, Executive Director of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA), took place at the PPDA Towers in Nakasero, Kampala.
The event recognized students from different educational institutions across Uganda, including primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, who excelled in producing anti-corruption speeches, essays, poems, videos, artworks, and songs. The competition was spearheaded by the NDC as part of a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about corruption.
Addressing the participants, Brig. Gen. Isoke commended the youth for their dedication to fighting corruption, describing them as future heroes, if they maintain their commitment. He compared the battle against corruption to past struggles of the NRM, emphasizing that despite the challenges, the fight can be won as the corrupt are few, while their victims, including the youth and elderly, are many.
He thanked Mr. Gasta Kakaire, Executive Director of NDC, for mentoring and guiding the youth through national debates on corruption. Brig. Gen. Isoke highlighted the importance of such initiatives in empowering young people to become patriotic leaders. He congratulated the winners and reminded them that their awards would hold greater significance when corruption is significantly reduced, and the values of integrity and transparency are embraced.
The host, PPDA’s Executive Director, Canon Turamye, praised the students for their creativity and commitment to the anti-corruption cause, urging them to spread the message in their schools and communities. He also acknowledged the collaboration between various anti-corruption agencies, including SH-ACU, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), the Auditor General’s Office, and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), in combating corruption in public procurement.
The partnership between the NDC and government anti-corruption agencies aims to instill values of transparency and integrity among young Ugandans as a long-term strategy to fight corruption. Uganda currently ranks 141st out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perception Index, underscoring the importance of such efforts in shaping a corruption-free future.