The Deputy Inspector General of Government, Anne Twino Muhairwe, has called on senior military officers to avoid unethical practices, warning that such actions pose a serious threat to national security.
Speaking at the National Defence College of Uganda in Jinja, Muhairwe said security is the foundation of a nation’s progress, sustaining public trust, boosting investor confidence, and stabilising markets.
“When this pillar is broken by unethical practices, even the government’s strongest achievements rapidly collapse. If left unchecked, this threat could roll back the gains in security, stability, and national development, and slow the government’s ambition to grow the economy tenfold in the next decade,” she said.
Delivering a paper on “The Undermining of Security, Stability and Prosperity by Unethical Practices”, Muhairwe stressed that what may appear as governance issues are, in fact, strategic national security threats if not addressed professionally.
She defined unethical practices as actions that violate accepted moral, professional, or legal norms for personal or group advantage.
“Military institutions like the UPDF are entrusted with safeguarding the state. When corruption infiltrates these institutions, consequences include inflated procurement contracts, ghost soldiers on payrolls, diversion of military supplies, and misuse of defence budgets,” she warned.
Muhairwe also outlined strategic measures to curb unethical practices, including promoting values-based education, strengthening professional ethics, leveraging technology to increase traceability, and fostering civic responsibility.
Her remarks prompted reflection among the senior officers, urging them to renew their commitment to ethical conduct for a stronger national security framework.
Brig. Richard Tukacungurwa, chairman of the General Court Martial, described the presentation as a “wake-up call” for strategic leaders of the UPDF, pledging to uphold ethical practices to enhance service delivery.
