Barugahara investigations: 94 people linked to corruption nabbed in 12 districts
The minister said the campaign, conducted between July 8-14, 2026, had resulted in 45 case files, with 24 compiled, nine before court, five with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and 10 under further investigation.
Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara presented the findings of the “Expose the Corrupt National Campaign” to Parliament on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. (Photos by Maria Wamala)
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Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara has reported that investigations into alleged corruption and mismanagement in 12 districts and cities have so far seen 94 people arrested.
Of these, 19 accused persons have appeared in court and cases involving an estimated sh14.7b.
Barugahara presented the findings of the “Expose the Corrupt National Campaign” to Parliament on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
He detailed alleged misuse of public funds, inflated school enrolment figures, illegal charges in Government schools, shoddy roads and construction works, land fraud and extortion.
The minister said the campaign, conducted between July 8-14, 2026, had resulted in 45 case files, with 24 compiled, nine before court, five with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and 10 under further investigation.
However, an enforcement summary attached to the report puts the number of persons arrested at 80, with 44 accused persons taken to court and the amount involved at about sh9.328b. Barugahara told MPs that the figures were based on a sample of areas visited and that resource constraints prevented his team from inspecting more facilities.
Inflated school figures
Some of the most striking findings emerged from Government schools, where officials were accused of inflating enrolment figures to attract higher capitation grants. At Nabumali Secondary School in Mbale, enrolment was reportedly inflated from 347 to 779 students, creating a difference of 432 students. The minister calculated the potential annual loss to Government at sh75.6m.
The report states that the headteacher, district inspector of schools and district education officer were arrested, interdicted and charged with abuse of office. Barugahara said similar cases were found in Namisindwa, Kasese, Bundibugyo and other districts, with some schools charging students despite receiving Government capitation grants.
At Nkooma Secondary School and Mbale High School, for instance, students were reportedly charged between sh335,000 and sh443,000 per term under compulsory school charges.
He warned that irregular charges in Government schools had become a nationwide concern, saying the practice “undermines Your Excellency's efforts to make education free and accessible for all.”
Infrastructure
The campaign exposed alleged misuse of road funds in several districts. In Mbale, the minister cited a six-kilometre Bukingara-Budwale road which had been budgeted at sh300m. An engineering audit reportedly found that no works had been done, leading to the arrest and interdiction of the district engineer.
In Bulambuli, investigators found that ordinary garden soil had been used instead of approved murram on sections of the Kimuli-Tunyi Road. The district engineer was arrested and charged with abuse of office, with the minister estimating the loss on the particular road at sh300m.
The report states that communities in Bulambuli told the minister that soil had been spread on a road only one week before his inspection, after officials learnt of his planned visit.
In Bubyangu Parish, Bufumbo Sub-county in Mbale, Government had disbursed sh2.6b in six phases from 2021 for water distribution, tap-stands and water dams. Yet residents told the minister they had never received the services. More than 50 tap-stands valued at sh221m were reportedly never installed. The district water engineer was arrested and interdicted, with the file forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution.
Land titling racket
The report says the Senior Land Management Officer and Secretary of the District Land Board allegedly used private surveyors and charged applicants between sh1m and sh6m, instead of facilitating the free titling programme.
At least 386 victims had recorded statements, while the amount allegedly extorted exceeded sh1b.
Mbarara funds under scrutiny
In Mbarara City, investigations centred on alleged diversion or misappropriation of sh2.84b in Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Program (USMID) funds through irregular payments under Bank of Uganda letters of credit.
The report further cites alleged diversion of sh712.7m in property tax revenue and irregular variations worth sh1.39b on the Buremba-Bishop Stuart University Road.
The cases were investigated by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and forwarded to the DPP, with several city officials facing allegations of abuse of office and causing financial loss to Government.
Barugahara said the campaign had encouraged citizens to speak about corruption and demand accountability for public resources.
He described the campaign as evidence that the fight against corruption “is possible and winnable”, arguing that sustained national mobilisation could make corruption a thing of the past.
He urged Government to strengthen anti-corruption institutions, increase resources for the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, CID, ISO, Inspectorate of Government and the DPP, while requiring local governments to publicly display budgets, work plans and key projects.
The report recommends making citizens partners in accountability by enabling them to report suspected corruption, monitor Government projects and provide information to authorities, while stressing that enforcement must remain “firm, lawful and evidence based.”
Barugahara proposed that the sh1b Road Rehabilitation Grant should be tied to performance, with stronger technical supervision to curb shoddy works. He said District Service Commissions should face closer monitoring to tackle allegations of selling Government jobs.