Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth has warned parliamentary committee chairpersons that they risk losing their leadership positions if found engaging in corruption, as the Inspectorate of Government (IG) reported progress in prosecuting corruption cases but cited technological and staffing challenges.
Oboth issued the warning while receiving the Inspectorate’s bi-annual performance report for January to June 2026 from Inspector General of Government Justice Aisha Naluze Batala.
He cautioned legislators against exploiting their committee responsibilities for personal gain, saying pressure from constituents should not become an excuse for corruption.
“I ask committee chairpersons to desist from engaging in any corruption tendencies as they execute their work. Those caught are bound to lose their positions as committee leaders. Even when the demands from voters are high, legislators must control their appetite,” Oboth said.
The report was presented in accordance with Article 123 of the Constitution, which provides for the appointment and functions of the Inspector General of Government.
Presenting the findings, Batala said the Inspectorate had registered improvements in the prosecution of corruption cases and public engagement but continued to face significant operational challenges.
She cited the increasing use of sophisticated technology to facilitate corruption, a shortage of specialised personnel and high staff turnover attributed to poor remuneration.
“We have registered improvement in prosecution of corruption cases and public engagement, but we are still facing challenges ranging from sophisticated technology, shortage of specialities and high turnover of staff due to poor enumeration,” Batala said.
She commended Parliament for increasing the Inspectorate’s budget, saying the additional funding would strengthen investigations and improve investigators’ capacity.
“We commend Parliament for increasing our budget, which will see strengthened investigations of corruption cases and the building of capacities of our investigators,” she added.
Oboth also called for amendments to existing anti-corruption laws, arguing that technological advances had made some forms of corruption more difficult to detect and prosecute under the current legal framework.
“There is need to amend the laws against corruption. With current technology, corruption has become more sophisticated and it is becoming difficult using the existing laws to fight it,” he said.
The Speaker further announced that, beginning in the 2027/2028 financial year, resource allocations to parliamentary committees would depend on the volume of pending work each committee is expected to handle.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi and several committee chairpersons questioned the IGG about alleged selective treatment of corruption cases.
They also sought explanations regarding the activities of Minister of State for Local Government Balaam Barugahara and other entities involved in the fight against corruption.
The questions placed the Inspectorate’s handling of investigations and the need for consistent enforcement under scrutiny as Parliament considered the agency’s performance and resource requirements.