Title: Discipline Deficit: The Missing Explanation for Corruption in Uganda
Authors: Dr. Mategeko Betty, Ahumuza Audrey, Dr. Twinomujuni Rosebell
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Pages: 339-345
Publication Date: 2026/05/28
Abstract:
Corruption in Uganda has persisted as a structural challenge despite decades of legal and administrative reform, suggesting that existing explanations-centred on poverty, weak institutions, and inadequate salaries-remain insufficient. This study, titled Discipline Deficit: The Missing Explanation for Corruption in Uganda, examined the relationship between discipline deficit in public institutions and corruption prevalence across multiple sectors and districts. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed, drawing on a stratified random sample of 750 respondents across six public sector institutions in fifteen Ugandan districts. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation and chi-square tests, and two-level multilevel logistic regression modelling. Findings revealed that the mean discipline deficit score across institutions was 65.9 (SD = 14.8), with the Uganda Police Force recording the highest score (74.2) and Education Sector MDAs the lowest (55.8). Bivariate analysis confirmed a strong positive correlation between discipline deficit scores and the Corruption Perception Index (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Multilevel regression showed that for every unit increase in discipline deficit score, the odds of corruption involvement increased by a factor of 2.32 (OR = 2.32; 95% CI: 1.94-2.78, p < 0.001), after controlling for sex, age, education, institutional trust, district type, governance quality, and oversight intensity. The intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.23 indicated that 23% of the variance in corruption was attributable to district-level factors. The study concluded that discipline deficit constitutes a critical, underexplored driver of corruption in Uganda and recommended the development of institutionalised discipline frameworks, reinvigoration of ethical accountability systems, and community-level civic education programmes.