Kampala leads Uganda in corruption cases – IGG Report

Kampala has been ranked the most corrupt district in Uganda, with the highest number of reported corruption cases in the country, according to a new report by the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya.

Kamya presented the bi-annual performance report to Parliament on Tuesday, revealing that Kampala recorded 253 corruption cases between July and December 2024.

This placed the capital city at the top among 134 surveyed districts.

Wakiso followed with 56 cases, Mbale recorded 44, while Masaka and Mukono had 34 and 32 cases respectively, rounding out the top five. On the opposite end, Buhweju, Bukedea, Kalaki, Karenga, Luuka, and Nabilatuk districts had the fewest cases, with one each.

In total, the IGG’s office received 1,347 corruption complaints during the six-month period. Of these, 1,193 were cleared for investigation, and 1,267 cases were investigated and concluded.

Out of the concluded cases, 552 were related to corruption, 391 were Ombudsman matters, and 324 involved breaches of the Leadership Code.

"From the above, it is evident that there was an increase in investigations concluded, funds recovered, and conviction rates. The rise is attributed to internal improvements, such as prosecution-led investigations and greater citizen engagement," Kamya said.

Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, and Mbale have consistently appeared among the districts with the highest corruption reports.

In a similar report covering January to June 2024, Kampala also topped the list with 224 cases, followed by Mbale with 73, Wakiso with 56, and Mukono with 43.

The figures show limited progress in tackling corruption in these regions. Kampala’s numbers have even gone up compared to the previous period. Masaka, which had no reported cases in the earlier report, has now moved into the top five.

Kamya said Kampala’s leading position is linked to its size and the high number of government institutions located there.

Other districts like Jinja, Hoima, and Lira, which were not previously among the worst affected, have now entered the list.

Meanwhile, areas such as Mbarara, Rakai, and Kabarole, once known for high corruption reports, have dropped out of the top 10, showing notable improvement though some cases still remain.