Ibanda Residents Await Minister Balaam's Anti-Corruption Baraza with High Expectations

Residents and the business community in Ibanda District are gearing up for the upcoming anti-corruption baraza led by the Minister for Local Government, Balaam Barugahara. The visit comes at a time when local stakeholders are eager to voice their frustrations concerning service delivery, poor infrastructure, and alleged administrative corruption within the district.

Traders at Ibanda Central Market have raised multiple pressing concerns ahead of the minister’s arrival. Vendors point out that monthly trading taxes have doubled from Shs5,000 to Shs10,000, despite unaddressed issues like roadside competition. Furthermore, traders decry the lack of electricity, poor sanitation, and dusty market conditions that contaminate food items and force early closures.

Meat vendors have also spoken out about failing sanitation facilities, highlighting a leaking septic tank that emits a foul stench with no intervention from municipal leaders. Beyond the marketplace, residents have voiced deep concerns over job recruitment irregularities in the district, alleging that qualified applicants are forced to bribe officials just to get shortlisted for government positions.

Transport operators and residents in Bufunda Division are similarly pushing for intervention regarding deteriorating infrastructure. Taxi leadership wants better enforcement to restore order in the local park, while residents cite open drainage systems and poor roads as major hazards causing accidents and property loss. Minister Balaam’s ongoing barazas have gained a reputation for intense public scrutiny, previously resulting in the arrest and interdiction of several accused public officials across the country.

Read more about this story in the Daily Monitor.