The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya, has issued a warning to junior civil servants, urging them to avoid being manipulated into engaging in corrupt practices by their superiors.
She emphasized the vulnerability of junior officers to corruption, as heads of departments and ministries often exploit them to sign off on illicit funds. This, she says leaves junior officers exposed to arrest during investigations, while their superiors evade accountability.
Kamya explained that majority of civil servants caught in the corruption scandals are junior officers who unwittingly sign for misappropriated funds and hand them over to their superiors.
She urged junior officers to resist such directives and adhere to established procedures.
“We are encouraging them (junior civil servants) that when they are given orders, to ask for those orders in writing but they are saying it is difficult to ask their bosses,” Kamya said.
The IGG’s remarks came during a sensitization campaign aimed at combating corruption in the country, where she addressed procurement officers, transport officers, secretaries, and representatives from various government departments and agencies.
Kamya singled out the procurement sector as a breeding ground for corruption, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance.
