Deputy IGG to senior officers: Avoid unethical practices to build a strong national security 

The Deputy Inspector General of Government, Mrs. Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe has made a passionate appeal to senior officers to desist from unethical practices which she said are a big threat to national security.

Security, she noted, is the foundation upon which a nation’s progress stands because it nurtures trust, enhances investor confidence in the economy, and stabilises markets.

“When this pillar is broken by unethical practices, even the government’s strongest achievements rapidly collapse. So if not decisively addressed, this threat has the capacity to roll back the substantial gains we have achieved in security, stability and national development or slow down the government’s stated ambition to grow the economy tenfold in the next decade,” she said.

Mrs. Muhairwe made the remarks while presentencing a paper on “The undermining of Security, Stability and Prosperity by Unethical practices” at the National Defence College of Uganda, Jinja.

She argued that though unethical practices may at first glance appear to be a governance challenge, they become a strategic national security threat, if at all they are not professionally addressed.

Unethical practices are actions that violate accepted moral standards, professional rules or legal norms for the purpose of personal or group advantage.

Institutions like the UPDF, she explained, are essential in cultivating the strategic mindset required by leaders responsible for safeguarding the nation and region from all emerging threats.

“The military is entrusted with protecting the state itself. When corruption affects defence institutions, the consequences can be severe with the most common risks being among others inflated procurement contracts, ghost soldiers on payrolls, diversion of military supplies, and misuse of defence budgets,” she said.

For the senior army officers entrusted with the solemn responsibility of safeguarding citizens and shielding the nation from bad elements, Mrs. Muhairwe’s meticulous advice on upholding ethical conduct serves as a timely and invaluable guide.

Unethical practices are not merely moral failings—they are quiet architects of national insecurity.

They break the foundation of a nation by eroding public trust, leaving citizens doubtful of the systems meant to protect and serve them.

Mrs. Muhairwe proposed strategic solutions to unethical practices which she said can make a big difference if enforced.

These include among others formulating and galvanizing the national psyche and consensus around national interests and values, introducing values-based education within the education system, and strengthening professional ethics, leveraging technology to reduce human discretion and increase traceability, and strengthening civic responsibility

As she left the podium, it was a moment of reflection for the men and women in uniform to renew their commitment to upholding ethical practices that can build a strong national security.

Brig. Richard Tukacungurwa, chairman of the General Court Martial said: “As strategic leaders of UPDF, the Deputy IGG’s presentation has been a wakeup call and indeed there is a lot to learn from it. We pledge to promote ethical practices for better service delivery”.

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