The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda expressed concern at the high levels of corruption in the newly elevated Fort Portal Tourism city which the council says has sabotaged development in the city.

Corruption has been manifested, among others in form of exchange of money for job appointments, which was said to be carried out by masqueraders, awarding of some project contracts on directives from the central government, making it difficult to monitor quality. The religious leader’s concerns come just a month after the Fort Portal City Clerk Moses Otimong was arrested over abuse of office by the office of the IGG.

In the same month, the mayor Fort Portal city Asaba Edson Ruyonga told the deputy IGG Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe during a public hearing that there was a syndicate in the tourism city that was conniving with each other to deprive the taxpayer of his money.

In the retreat, the leaders resolved that a deliberate effort should be made to hold continuous dialogue with the leaders at different levels, and to share this feedback, so as to come up with a lasting solution.

There are habits of impunity among the gov’t workers where they break the laws because they know they will not be reprimanded but instead will be transferred.

The council recommends that projects within Fort Portal city should be jointly monitored by different stakeholders operating with open lines of communication.  

However, civil society organisations recommended accountability forums in Fort Portal city so that issues of corruption can be minimized.