Integrity

Amin would have probably asked: Who is this man, called Integrity?! If he is a real man, I want to challenge him to a boxing match!

Integrity is one of those words that are rare in the Uganda common lexicon. It is about personal wholeness, consistency, authenticity, and commitment to values and principles in all daily interactions and activities. (Koslow 1999).

In His bargain with Abraham, God promised that He would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if He could find 10 good people. In a similar vein, can one find 10 people in Uganda with integrity? Hardly. However, in the political realm people like Bidandi Ssali, Amanya Mushega and Besigye can be counted as authentic and capable of correcting the tortured legacy of the nation. One would wish that the first two could have more fire in their bellies. On the other hand, the man heading the NRM has no integrity at all. Many of the rest of us would also as easily compromise our integrity for short-term gains as he has done on many occassions. This is because we have a deluded sense of “self” as we look for happiness in all the wrong objective realities.

Here are some tidbits on Integrity by Koslow.

1. Always keep your word. If a change in circumstances means that keeping your word would be life threatening or otherwise devastating, renegotiate with the intent of maintaining integrity

2. Integrity requires consistency between your public statements and your private thoughts

3. Highly effective people never blame circumstances for their lack of results. Instead, they accept responsibility and recommit to the actions necessary to produce intended results.