The three ministers chose the field over air-conditioned offices in Kampala. Moving alongside the media, they set out to expose a grim reality: Uganda’s infrastructure is in crisis. Across the country, road projects have stagnated, billions in taxpayers’ money have been disbursed or earmarked for incomplete work, and civil works crawl at a snail’s pace.
Engineers entrusted with supervision have instead colluded with contractors to swindle public funds. Everyday road users pay the price, negotiating treacherous terrain daily. Dust continues to choke small businesses, while Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries count losses as sluggish workmanship stifles local commerce. The Mityana–Mubende road, the Mpigi Expressway, and the Nakawuka–Nateete stretch are prime examples of projects that feel light-years away from completion.
Rather than hosting comfortable boardroom reviews at the Ministry of Works and Transport, Hon. Fred Byamukama put on gumboots and a reflector jacket to conduct site inspections. Armed with background research, he arrived informed—ready to question not only why these roads are exorbitantly expensive, but why progress is virtually non-existent.
Ugandans have witnessed firsthand the connivance, theft, and syndicated corruption orchestrated by the very engineers hired to build the nation. Hon. Byamukama has demonstrated that while the government commits adequate resources, a handful of corrupt officials squander public funds. His hands-on interventions have yielded swift results. The Bwaise–Nansana stretch—a nightmare under a kilometer long that once turned a two-minute drive into a 50-minute gridlock—was finally completed after he issued a firm ultimatum.
Hon. Fred, keep your foot on the pedal. Do not relent. Dismiss rogue engineers, cancel contracts for non-performing companies, and remain uncompromising. Ugandans stand firmly behind you. You have proved that sitting behind a desk is counterproductive; you have revived the proactive spirit of the NRA bush days.
The Failure of District Leadership
District administrative leaders—including Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), Assistant CAOs, and heads of department such as District Engineers, Gender Officers, District Planners, Water Engineers, and District Health Officers (DHOs)—are tasked with managing public funds and implementing government programs. However, findings by the Local Government ministers reveal a stark departure from this mandate.
Hon. Balaam Barugahara and Hon. Florence Nameere form an exceptionally effective combination. The scale of systemic theft they have exposed is staggering. The collusion between local political leaders and district technical teams defies imagination. How does one “eat” an entire road, hospital, school, or bridge?
Should these acts be tried as economic terrorism? Should the nation establish summary courts for corrupt DHOs, DEOs, CAOs, and District Engineers?
Consider the discipline within the UPDF: consequence management is swift, direct, and decisive. An offense committed today goes before a unit disciplinary court tomorrow, with judgment rendered within days. Perhaps it is time for local governance to adopt a similar model. The traditional judicial process—where clear-cut cases with ample evidence drag on through endless adjournments—cannot support the agenda of Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo. Why endure months of remands and mentions when the suspects, witnesses, and evidence are already assembled?
District officials found stealing public resources should face charges akin to terrorism. Siphoning funds meant for a healthcare facility directly endangers lives.
Is Decentralization Working, in the ICU, or Dead?
Decentralization appears dead, awaiting final rites. Despite the constitutional mandate under Article 176(2) and the Local Governments Act (Cap 138) empowering local authorities to deliver services in health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure, the current reality is the exact opposite.
Ghost doctors and absent nurses draw salaries without reporting for duty. Engineers exhaust one budget cycle after another on ghost roads. Headteachers submit fictitious enrollment figures to the Ministry, while District Production Officers divert PDM funds.
Should the government centralize key services once again? While the central government is not without flaws, district leadership has shown a greater interest in personal enrichment than in serving citizens.
Where Are Crime Intelligence, the DISO, RDC, Church Leaders, and Elders?
The most pressing question remains: where are the oversight officers who operate independently of district leadership?
- Resident District Commissioners (RDCs): A core duty of the RDC is to monitor the implementation of central and local government programs. What have you been monitoring while entire road budgets vanish?
- Crime Intelligence (CI): The Crime Intelligence directorate is tasked with mapping crime trends and gathering actionable intelligence. Local CI teams must step up. How do these large-scale network crimes go unnoticed? How can a health facility function with only six out of 19 paid medical personnel present without an intelligence report being filed?
- Religious Leaders and Community Elders: Faith leaders are not exempt from scrutiny. Corrupt officials are routinely offered front-row seats in churches and mosques because of their lavish donations. Do you ever question the source of these millions or ask how a civil servant builds a billion-shilling mansion? Silence in the face of theft makes one complicit.
- District Security Committees: Composed of the RDC, DISO, DPC, and other key figures, these committees have full visibility over government-funded projects each financial year. Are you conducting physical site inspections? How do non-existent assets or illegal transfers of public land pass without raising red flags?
A Call to Action for the Judiciary and Leadership
Ministers Balaam, Nameere, and Fred have exposed how a few technical officers and local politicians systematically plunder the country. What Hon. Balaam is revealing feels almost unreal. For how long has this been happening, and how much has the country lost?
To the ministers: Ugandans will not forget your effort. In under four months, you have achieved what predecessors failed to do in a decade. Maintain this momentum. Name and shame every corrupt official, whether political or technical.
To investigators, prosecutors, and the judiciary: take it from here. Prioritize these files and deliver justice for the citizens who lost loved ones due to absent doctors, bad roads, and neglected facilities.
To President Museveni: certain trusted appointees have betrayed the public trust, using their offices to enrich themselves while peasants’ children attend schools without basic sanitation. It is time to retire non-performing engineers, DHOs, and DEOs in the public interest.
Ministers Balaam, Nameere, and Fred deserve national recognition for their firm stance. Make life difficult for public thieves until integrity is restored to governance.
For God and My Country.
Samson Tinka Security and Safety Consultant tindsam@yahoo.com
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