The Inspectorate of Government (IG) has reinforced its strategic partnerships with international development partners in efforts to address gender-related corruption in Uganda, following a two-day workshop that brought together more than 15 stakeholders to examine the impact of corruption on women, girls and other vulnerable groups.

The workshop, held on 4 November 2026 at Onomo Hotel in Kampala, was hosted by the Inspectorate of Government with support from the Embassy of Denmark in Uganda, in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre.

The engagement provided a platform for stakeholders to examine the relationship between gender and corruption, particularly in the health and education sectors, and explore practical approaches to strengthening institutional responses.

The British Deputy High Commissioner to Uganda, Ms Tiffany Kirlew, attended the workshop and encouraged participants to openly share their experiences and insights to enrich the discussions. She expressed optimism that the recommendations arising from the engagement would contribute to meaningful change in addressing gender-related corruption in Uganda.

Officially opening the workshop, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Lady Justice Naluzze Aisha Batala, called for stronger institutional interventions to address gender-related corruption, particularly in the health and education sectors.

The IGG observed that women, girls and other vulnerable groups often bear a disproportionate burden of corrupt practices, including sexual corruption, which undermines their dignity, rights and access to essential public services.

She emphasised the need for institutions to strengthen their systems for identifying, receiving and responding to complaints involving gender-related corruption, while ensuring that victims and witnesses can report such practices without fear of stigma or retaliation.

Key recommendations for the Inspectorate of Government

The workshop identified several areas for further institutional action, including:

1. Incorporating sexual corruption as an indicator in the Fifth National Integrity Survey (NIS V).

2. Developing Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials to raise public awareness about sexual corruption.

3. Disaggregating data on sexual corruption by gender in reports submitted to Parliament.

4. Strengthening public sensitisation through engagements with young people and community Barazas.

5. Conducting radio and television talk shows to stimulate public discussion and encourage reporting.

6. Reactivating Gender Help Mechanisms (GHMs).

7. Strengthening whistleblower protection mechanisms.

8. Collaborating with the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity to pursue legal reforms that explicitly recognise and address sexual corruption.

The workshop underscores the importance of strategic partnerships in strengthening institutional capacity, promoting accountability and addressing emerging forms of corruption.

The Inspectorate of Government remains committed to working with development partners, government institutions and other stakeholders to advance integrity, transparency and accountability in Uganda.

The Inspectorate of Government (IG) has reaffirmed its commitment to working with non-state actors and youth-led organisations to strengthen public accountability, promote integrity and enhance young people's participation in the fight against corruption.

This follows a meeting between the Deputy Inspector General of Government (Deputy IGG), Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria, and a delegation from Positive Peace Generation, led by its Executive Director, Mr. Wafula Silas Shoki, at the Office of the Inspectorate of Government.

The delegation visited the Deputy IGG to present a report on the Entrepreneurship for Peace Conference held at the International University of East Africa (IUEA), where Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria had served as Chief Guest. During the conference, she delivered a lecture on leadership and called upon Government and the private sector to support young entrepreneurs as a means of promoting economic empowerment and sustainable peace. The event also featured a graduation ceremony.

During the visit, Positive Peace Generation recognised and awarded Dr. Patricia for her mentorship and contribution to national development, particularly her demonstrated commitment to integrity, humility, ethical leadership and the fight against corruption.

The delegation also expressed its commitment to supporting the Inspectorate's anti-corruption efforts by mobilising young people to demand accountability, promote inclusivity and advocate for the rights and participation of persons with disabilities.

Discussions further explored opportunities for collaboration between the Inspectorate and youth-led organisations in addressing corruption among young people through awareness creation, training, mentorship and other integrity-building initiatives.

Mr. Wafula Silas Shoki, Executive Director of Positive Peace Generation, commended the Deputy IGG and the Inspectorate for their support towards youth empowerment and engagement.

“We believe that young people have a critical role to play in the fight against corruption. Through partnerships with institutions such as the Inspectorate of Government, we can equip young people with the knowledge, values and skills needed to promote accountability, integrity and responsible citizenship. We appreciate Dr. Patricia for her mentorship and commitment to supporting young people,” Mr. Shoki said.

As part of the proposed areas of collaboration, the meeting explored a partnership between the Office of the Inspectorate of Government, Positive Peace Generation and other stakeholders to organise the *4th Annual Peace Festival in the Acholi Sub-region*, with preparations already underway.

The engagement underscores the importance of partnerships between Government institutions and non-state actors in advancing accountability, peacebuilding and good governance. The Inspectorate recognises that the fight against corruption requires collective action and welcomes constructive engagement with civil society organisations, youth groups, the private sector and other stakeholders.

Through such partnerships, the IG continues to promote a culture of integrity and encourage young people to become active partners in building a transparent, accountable and corruption-free Uganda.

The Inspectorate of Government (IG) is participating in the Second Resumed 17th Session of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) Implementation Review Group, taking place at the Vienna International Centre in Austria.

The IG is represented by the Director Legal Affairs, Ms. Hilda Talibba, as part of the Ugandan delegation led by the Permanent Secretary of the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity, Mr. Dunstan Balaba. The delegation also comprises representatives from the Financial Intelligence Authority, Office of the Auditor General, Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court, Directorate for Ethics and Integrity, Attorney General's Chambers, Leadership Code Tribunal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting is discussing the self-assessment checklist for the second phase of the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism, alongside the revised model schedule and simplified blueprint. These tools will guide the second-phase assessment of State Parties' implementation of the Convention, which is expected to commence in mid-2027.

Participants are also continuing discussions on the implementation of Chapter V of UNCAC on asset recovery and related cross-cutting provisions under Chapter II on preventive measures. The discussions are examining challenges, good practices and observations reported by State Parties.

Among the key good practices highlighted is the importance of following the money, the individuals involved and their networks during financial investigations to facilitate the identification and recovery of assets. Participants also emphasised the need for strong cooperation between anti-corruption agencies and Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), including timely and spontaneous information sharing and properly formulated requests to provide valuable leads for investigations.

The meeting further underscored the importance of conducting parallel financial investigations as a standard practice in corruption cases, supported by clear institutional mandates, legally authorised mechanisms and practical cooperation arrangements such as memoranda of understanding and joint task forces.

Other good practices highlighted include modernised asset declaration, verification and reporting systems; the establishment of beneficial ownership registries; information sharing among anti-corruption agencies; and enhanced inter-agency, regional and international cooperation to combat money laundering.

However, participants noted persistent challenges across many countries, including weak or non-existent verification mechanisms, limited asset disclosures, inadequate definitions of conflict of interest and insufficient information on beneficial ownership. Gaps were also identified in reporting by professional service providers, particularly in the legal, real estate and company services sectors. This issue is expected to be presented to the UNCAC Conference of State Parties for consideration and resolution.

Meanwhile, Andorra has recently joined UNCAC, bringing the total number of State Parties to 193, further demonstrating the Convention's growing global reach and commitment to international cooperation against corruption.