The Role of Civil Society in Preventing and Combating Corruption in Uganda. A Case Study of Nakawa Division Kampala

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1.1 Introduction This section provides a clear background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose, objective, research question, scope of the study and the significance. The definition of key words will also be incorporated in this section. 1.2 Background to the study Fighting corruption has emerged as a key development issue in Uganda. In the recent years more and more policy markers, businesses and civil society organizations, have begun to confront the issue openly. At the same time the general level of understanding about corruption has risen markedly. Until recent, it was not uncommon to hear someone discuss anti-corruption strictly in law enforcement terms. By contrast, most people working in the field today acknowledge that public education and prevention are equally important. The field has also to appreciate how critical the role of society is for effective and sustained reform. A number of factors explain the growing emphasis on fight against corruption. Expansion and consolidation of democracy at the grass roots level has enabled citizens to use the vote and newfound civil liberties to confront corruption, promoting leads and opposition figures to show a stronger anti-corruption commitment. Internationally, donor governments have focused less on ideological grounds for foreign assistance and concentrated more on trade development. Both of which are undermined by corruption, like Uganda, have found themselves less able to attract investment and Aid in competitive global market. Preliminary examination of data from various hypotheses concerning the role of civil society in Uganda is that the sustenance and success of efforts to combat corruption in Uganda directly related to the extent of participation of civil society. In this effort; the underlying idea is that development is not the product of a set of blue prints given by political leadership independently of the civil society but is often a joint output of civil society itself. The pace and direction of development effort is shaped by the umbilical relationship between the state and society.