Veteran journalist and Pan-Africanist Steven Ariong has called on the Presidents of Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya to urgently intervene in what he describes as widespread corruption and weak financial oversight within the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA).
Ariong, who recently spent time at the Port of Mombasa in Kenya seeking to understand the role and operations of the Northern Corridor institution, said he was shocked by what he observed, arguing that the organisation risks being turned into an “eating area” instead of fulfilling its regional economic mandate.
He warned that millions of dollars could potentially be lost annually through corruption, financial mismanagement and weak oversight if stronger accountability mechanisms are not put in place.
According to Ariong, the Presidents of Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda are among the leaders best positioned to push for meaningful reforms within the institution. He, however, noted that addressing accountability in South Sudan could be more challenging because of what he described as weaknesses in the country’s auditing and oversight systems.
Ariong also called for the Council of Ministers responsible for the Northern Corridor, particularly Ministers of Works and Transport, to take a more active role in supervising the institution.
“To me, these ministers have slept on the job, while some board members and Permanent Secretaries in their ministries representing their countries on the board are already compromised, making the organisation a jackpot for themselves and an eating place,” he said.
He urged the responsible governments to strengthen financial audits, improve transparency and hold officials accountable for any abuse of public resources.
Ariong argued that stronger supervision of the NCTTCA is important because the organisation plays a critical role in facilitating regional trade and the movement of goods across East and Central Africa.
The NCTTCA is an intergovernmental organisation established to oversee the implementation of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Agreement (NCTTA), which facilitates trade and the movement of goods from the Port of Mombasa to landlocked countries in the Great Lakes region.
The veteran journalist said tackling corruption within regional institutions such as the NCTTCA would not only protect public resources but also strengthen economic integration among member states.
He called on the governments of the Northern Corridor member states to urgently review the institution’s financial management and oversight systems and ensure that regional bodies serve the interests of the countries and citizens they were established to benefit.
