By Brian Mugenyi
KAMPALA — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been commended by government leaders for spearheading Uganda’s renewed fight against corruption through a directive aimed at exposing and eliminating graft in public institutions, particularly in local governments.
The praise was expressed during a high-level anti-corruption meeting convened by the Ministry of Local Government at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala on Tuesday. The meeting brought together thousands of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and Government Internal Security Officers (GISOs) from across the country to discuss the implementation of the President’s directive.
Delivering the keynote address during the mid-morning session, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Ben Kumumanya, said President Museveni’s directive had renewed the government’s commitment to strengthening accountability and ensuring public resources reach the intended beneficiaries.
“Our relevance as public servants will be measured by our commitment to fighting corruption. This meeting has been convened to implement His Excellency’s directive to expose corruption and eliminate it from our institutions,” Kumumanya said.
The Minister of State for Local Government, Hon. Balam Barugahara Ateenyi, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting the anti-corruption campaign, urging RDCs and GISOs to strengthen monitoring of government programmes and protect public resources.
He said corruption undermines service delivery and slows socio-economic transformation, adding that local governments must remain at the forefront of promoting transparency and accountability.
The meeting was also addressed by the Minister of State for the Presidency, Milly Babirye Babalanda, who described corruption as one of the greatest obstacles to national development.
Quoting 2 Chronicles 19:7, Babalanda urged public officials to uphold integrity, fairness and justice while executing their duties.
She condemned the theft of medicines, diversion of road construction funds, manipulation of recruitment processes, ghost beneficiaries and procurement irregularities, saying such practices deny ordinary Ugandans access to quality public services.
“Every shilling stolen denies our people better health care, education, roads and other essential services,” she said.
Babalanda applauded President Museveni for maintaining a firm stance against corruption and challenged public officials to match the President’s commitment by exposing corrupt individuals and safeguarding government resources.
She also commended the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for supporting the national anti-corruption campaign and urged leaders to work together to eliminate impunity.
Security Minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi described corruption as a threat to Uganda’s security and development, urging RDCs and GISOs to intensify monitoring of government programmes and support ongoing forensic audits aimed at tracing misused public funds.
Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity Rose Lilly Akello called on public servants to embrace honesty, justice, integrity and accountability, saying ethical leadership remains the cornerstone of effective governance.
The meeting concluded with Babalanda delivering the closing remarks, urging the thousands of RDCs and GISOs to return to their respective districts with renewed determination to implement President Museveni’s anti-corruption directive and ensure every public shilling benefits the citizens for whom it is intended.
Government officials pledged to strengthen oversight of public programmes, improve accountability in local governments and intensify the nationwide campaign against corruption as Uganda seeks to enhance service delivery and restore public confidence in public institutions.
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