Nakadama Confronts Mayuge Officials on Corruption and Service Gaps

Third Deputy Prime Minister Lukia Nakadama has sharply criticized Mayuge district leaders and civil servants for persistent issues of corruption, employee absenteeism, and a general decline in service delivery. Nakadama convened a critical meeting with department heads, sub-county chiefs, and parish chiefs to address escalating public grievances.

The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted that substantial government investments in decentralization and livelihood improvement programs are being undermined by some officials through corrupt practices and negligence. She stated that “The voices coming from the people have implicated many civil servants who are supposed to be serving them.” This conduct, she warned, is tarnishing the government’s reputation despite increased public spending.

Nakadama specifically pointed to alleged diversion of public funds by accountants and accounting officers, who she claims are siphoning money meant for development projects. This practice, she explained, cripples service delivery and creates a false narrative of government failure.

Further compounding the issue, Nakadama condemned corruption in the recruitment process, which allows unqualified individuals to gain employment through bribery, displacing competent candidates. She noted that those who pay bribes to secure jobs often resort to further illicit means to recoup their expenses.

Absenteeism was also a significant point of contention. Nakadama alleged that some employees report for duty only to leave prematurely, without properly supervising activities or submitting required reports.

Mayuge Chief Administrative Officer Abdul Batambuze acknowledged absenteeism as a major challenge and outlined plans to implement biometric attendance systems. He also expressed concerns about insufficient funding for road maintenance, noting that the district’s 1,200 km road network suffers from decades of neglect due to limited resources.

District Chairperson David Zijja appealed for road maintenance equipment and urged the public to report individuals involved in bribery for job recruitment. The district is prioritizing severely neglected roads this financial year and will continue to lobby for increased central government funding.

Source: Nile Post