In March 2009, the organisation will publish the results of its Corruption Diagnostic Baseline survey, a survey ranking public institutions in the capital Addis Ababa, according to the quality of the service they provide. The survey examines the effects of corruption at the local level, highlighting particularly vulnerable areas. It is a first step towards designing strategic anti-corruption measures at both the local and national level.

Ethiopia represents a difficult operating environment for the organisation following the passing of a law that effectively criminalises the work of NGOs. As the media also faces restrictions, there is an atmosphere of fear and pressure among individuals and organisations working for accountability and transparency within the country.

The chapter also runs a public complaints unit, to advise Kenyans on corruption related complaints. The response rate has been exceptionally high, which underlines the public’s demand for support to take a stand against corruption. The organisation plans to expand the service and is currently securing funding to establish an Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre .

Transparency Rwanda conducted integrity studies to assess corruption in leading institutions, strategies to prevent corruption within the Rwandan judiciary and the integrity of town planning services in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

In April 2009, Transparency Rwanda will open its first Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC). The organisation has ambitious plans to establish a total of 13 centres throughout the country over the next three years. Underlining Transparency Rwanda’s multi-stakeholder approach to combating corruption, the organisation expects close cooperation with public offices such as the Office of the Ombudsman, the Office of the Public Prosecutor, the Office of the Auditor General, as well as with the police, university legal clinics and the Rwandan branch of Lawyers without Frontiers.

Numerous high-level government officials were arrested in Tanzania during 2008 as the citizens have called on President Jakaya Kikwete to adopt a zero tolerance corruption stance. However, much work remains to be done.

In light of the financial crisis and increasing insecurity for many of the world’s poor, Kikwete and the International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director have convened an international conference to discuss how Africa can sustain and build on its recent economic success.

Transparency International representatives will participate in the conference and address the corruption challenge facing poor countries in trying times.

Transparency Uganda strives to increase transparency and accountability and keep the issues high on the national agenda. The organisation is working on a three year project, which aims to enhance community empowerment, strengthen and develop institutions, and enhance public awareness through advocacy campaigns and working closely with the media. Transparency Uganda is also engaged in a programme to foster accountability in the procurement of goods and services, as well as a grass-roots project which empowers communities to take a pro-active stance against corruption.