Fear Grips Bududa Civil Servants Ahead of Minister Balaam’s Anti-Corruption Visit

Fear Grips Bududa Civil Servants Ahead of Minister Balaam’s Anti-Corruption Visit

Anxiety has gripped civil servants in Bududa District ahead of the anticipated visit by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi under the government’s “Expose the Corrupt” campaign, which has already led to arrests and interdictions of public officials in other parts of the Bugisu sub-region.

The campaign, launched by Minister Balaam together with State Minister for Local Government Justine Namere, is aimed at improving service delivery by exposing corruption and recovering public funds lost through abuse of office. While residents have welcomed the planned inspection, saying it will promote accountability in the implementation of government programmes, many district officials are reportedly apprehensive, with some hoping the minister postpones or cancels the visit.

The growing anxiety was evident during a meeting held on Monday at the Bududa District headquarters, attended by heads of departments, head teachers, health facility in-charges, parish chiefs and other government officials, where participants appeared unusually quiet and tense. Bududa Chief Administrative Officer Max Martin Mukula urged civil servants not to panic or abandon their duty stations, advising them to cooperate with investigators and provide truthful information if questioned.

Mukula also warned officials against fleeing to neighbouring Kenya following reports that some civil servants were allegedly considering crossing the border to evade accountability. He said such actions would only disrupt service delivery in the district. Turning to the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM), Mukula warned parish chiefs accused of mismanaging programme funds to prepare to face the law. He further advised officials who gave beneficiaries less than the required Shs1 million to refund the missing money before the minister’s inspection.

Several civil servants who spoke during the meeting reportedly admitted making mistakes in the course of their work and appealed for more time to rectify them before the inspection. Bududa District LCV Chairperson Geoffrey Natubu said he would not shield any official found culpable of corruption or abuse of office. Natubu urged accounting officers to ensure their accountability records and financial documents are in order ahead of the minister’s visit.

He added that he was engaging the minister to allow the district adequate time to organize the required documentation before the inspection team arrives. The “Expose the Corrupt” campaign has so far covered Bulambuli, Namisindwa, Mbale District and Mbale City. Bududa, Sironko and Manafwa are among the districts yet to be inspected. Residents say they are ready to use the minister’s visit to report alleged corruption.

William Wekoye, a resident of Bushiro, said he intends to present complaints alleging that some Parish Development Model beneficiaries are required to pay more than Shs200,000 before accessing the government’s Shs1 million grant. Another resident, Peter Wanambwa of Bumasheti, said he wants the minister to investigate alleged irregularities in school funding, claiming that some schools with low enrolment receive capitation grants meant for hundreds of pupils.

Sam Wanaba also alleged that he was asked to pay money to secure employment for his daughter as an enrolled nurse. He claimed that after refusing to pay, she was denied the job and said he has audio recordings which he intends to present to the minister. By the time of filing this report, the meeting was still underway, with many civil servants seeking guidance on how to prepare for the inspection and avoid falling foul of the ongoing anti-corruption campaign.