Unraveling the Intricacies of Formality and Informality: An Examination of Uganda's Institutional Fight against Corruption

Abstract

This paper examines Uganda’s anti-corruption landscape, highlighting how the interplay between formal and informal mechanisms affects the country’s governance. By analyzing existing structures and strategies, we identify both the critical strengths and significant obstacles in the fight against corruption. Contrary to the belief that a multi-layered approach is effective, we argue that this strategy often results in anti-corruption mechanisms that conflict with one another, leading to a waste of limited public resources and negatively impacting anti-corruption efforts. The proliferation of both formal and informal anti-corruption structures is partly due to a lack of political will to address corruption in Uganda to enable regime survival. By strategically directing resources toward specific formal anti-corruption agencies, we can ensure a more efficient and effective use of public resources in combating these serious crimes. This paper focuses specifically on informal entities within the State House and examines formal agencies, namely the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Inspectorate of Government, in the context of the multitude of anti-corruption organizations. The study utilizes doctrinal research methods to conduct its analysis.