Squared Pegs in Round Holes: Contextual Challenges and Media Framing in Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Fight

Abstract

Uganda possesses one of Africa’s most comprehensive integrity toolkits, yet corruption indicators have shown minimal improvement since the National Resistance Movement assumed power in 1986. This paper reassesses the country’s reform efforts using a convergent mixed-methods approach that integrates time-series analysis of the Corruption Perceptions Index, World Bank Control of Corruption scores, and Afrobarometer bribery data; thematic analysis of 14 elite interviews and media stories; and documentary review of laws and agencies established since 1986. Applying lenses of institutional isomorphism, neo-patrimonial political economy, institutional multiplicity, and reactive versus proactive approaches, the study identifies a persistent “reform misfit.” Corruption Perceptions Index scores remain stagnant below 30, the World Bank percentile has declined from 27 to 18, and self-reported bribery has risen to 38%. Flagship initiatives, including the 2010 Whistle-Blower Act and the 2018 State House Anti-Corruption Unit, have produced only temporary improvements. Joint-display matrices show that while sensational “naming-and-shaming” tactics spike following scandals, they rarely lead to prosecutions, fueling public disillusionment. The evidence highlights six failure mechanisms: isomorphic mimicry, neo-patrimonial incentives, overlapping mandates, reactive bias, regional illicit-finance gaps, and a contested media space. The paper recommends mandate rationalization, preventive risk mapping, cross-border asset recovery, stronger whistle-blower and media protections, and the creation of citizen audit panels. Without such realignment, Uganda’s anti-corruption efforts will continue to struggle against systemic challenges.