news 29 July 2026 The Observer (Uganda)
Ministers Uncover Widespread Waste and Corruption in Surprise District Inspections
Unannounced visits by Ugandan ministers to various districts have revealed shocking levels of mismanagement, including ghost workers, inflated school enrollments, and non-functional public infrastructure, highlighting systemic corruption and weak oversight. Source: https://observer.ug/news/inside-the-waste-exposed-by-ministers-surprise-visits
Recent surprise inspections by Uganda’s Ministers of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara and Justine Nameere, have brought to light alarming instances of public funds mismanagement across several districts. These visits, intended to gauge service delivery and financial accountability, unveiled a range of issues from payroll fraud to substandard construction.
In eastern Uganda, health centers and schools were found to be riddled with inefficiencies. At one health facility, four individuals were discovered to be drawing government salaries without actually working, representing a clear case of ghost employees. Similarly, a school intended for over 1,000 students was found to have only about 250 learners in attendance, with officials admitting to inflating enrollment figures to secure more government funding.
The revelations extend to infrastructure projects, with a particularly egregious example in Bulambuli district where Shs 73 million was reportedly spent on a toilet lacking both a pit and a sewage connection, rendering it useless. Another bridge in the same district was allegedly constructed with subpar materials, leading to an estimated loss of Shs 500 million.
Minister Barugahara stated that since the launch of the “Expose the Corrupt” campaign, approximately 157 government officials in Bulambuli alone have been arrested for alleged corruption. Some have already been charged before the Anti-Corruption Court, with investigations and arrests expected to continue in other districts as well.
These findings underscore the significant financial drain caused by corruption in Uganda, estimated by the Inspectorate of Government to be around Shs 10 trillion annually. The implications are dire, translating into understaffed clinics, failing infrastructure, and a lack of essential services for citizens. Ministers have vowed to implement reforms, including swift replacement of corrupt officials and strengthened supervision, to combat these persistent problems.