African Parliaments Pledge more Efforts Against Corruption

{{African Parliaments are expected to up their game in the fight against corruption and promotion of proper public finance management on the continent.}}

This follows the conclusion of a 3-day discussion at regional workshop hosted in Kigali that ended on June 30 organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Parliamentarian Network against Corruption (APNAC).

The workshop attracted over 100 participants including Rwandan legislators, EAC representatives of the APNAC National Chapter, EAC anti-corruption authorities and APNAC executive committee members.

According to Senator Marie Claire Mukasine, Chairperson of APNAC-Rwanda, “APNAC-Rwanda shall make the most of this opportunity which is certain to become a cornerstone of a sharpened partnership between AfDB and APNAC on both a continental and regional level but which will be particularly valuable to APNAC in the fight against corruption.”

Jacob Diko Mukete, of the AfDB’s governance department noted, “Cost of corruption can be measured in terms of the opportunity cost of the huge quantity of scarce resource leakages from the public coffers. Imagine if those billions, or millions of dollars, were spent on the construction of bridges, schools and roads, and other investments.”

Rwanda’s Senate President Dr Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo said, “Rwanda is now in the fourth position on the continent – in the east African region, Rwanda is number one. All this was possible because of the good leadership of our country.”