The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Muhammadu Buhari have pledged to work together to fight Africa’s many obstacles to development, one of which is corruption.
Buhari last week concluded a visit to Kenya, in which together with Uhuru, they promised to join hands in addressing the many challenges facing Nigeria and Kenya in rooting out corruption, terrorism and radicalization.
“We have exhaustively discussed security, the economy and even touched on corruption and how it destroys the system and morale of the nation state,” Buhar said.
The comments come in a week in which the Corruption Perceptions Index 2015 ranked 169 countries for corruption, with Nigeria and Kenya not doing well.
A new report released by Transparency International (TI) shows Kenya and Uganda were ranked 139 out of 168 in the 2015 Global Corruption Perception Index (CPI). Nigeria was ranked better that the two by TI with Rwanda the best performer in East Africa at 44.
Kenya and Uganda scored 25 on a scale of zero to 100. According to TI officials, Zero is perceived to be highly corrupt and 100 very clean. The global average is 43 and sub-Saharan Africa’s mean of 33.
According to the report, North Korea and Somalia are currently tied for the most corrupt countries in the world. The Corruption Perceptions Index 2015 ranked 169 countries for corruption, finding that the two countries tied with a score of eight out of 100.
“I look forward to continuing to work with you my brother in ensuring that Africa’s children enjoy happier, more peaceful and prosperous lives,” Kenyatta told Buhari during the three-day visit.
“We have also reaffirmed our own commitment to the fight against corruption, understanding that this is a fight that demeans, not just the African, but denies us the much needed prosperity, that our respective countries and continent deserve.”
Uhuru concluded by saying that “Our commitment is to work together to combat this vice so that we create a more prosperous, inclusive, and growing economies that are beneficial to our people, as opposed to third parties.”
