Bunyoro officials challenged to clean up corruption in public service

BUNYORO - Civil servants in local governments across the Bunyoro sub-region have been urged to resist corruption and focus their efforts on delivering inclusive services to communities.

Maj. Martha Asiimwe, head of the RDC Secretariat Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President, said corruption remains the biggest challenge affecting service delivery in the country.

Maj. Asiimwe, who is traversing the Bunyoro sub-region to assess progress on government programmes and strengthen coordination among political, technical and security actors at the district level, on March 17, 2026, met stakeholders from Hoima city and Kikuube District to discuss issues affecting service delivery.

During the engagement, Maj. Asiimwe said one of the common forms of corruption in local governments that must be tackled is the sale of government jobs to job seekers.
She noted that many Ugandan parents struggle to educate their children, only for them to be forced to sell land to secure employment.

"The evil which is rampant in this country is the selling of government jobs scarce as they are, they are selling like hot cakes, service commission, do you know that you have turned into brokers of government jobs” she said and demanded this vice to be put to an end.

She added that leaders, heads of departments and civil servants should use their offices to fight corruption instead of becoming conduits for it.

“As leaders, heads of departments, civil servants, your offices are the first line of defense against corruption. The misuse of funds under Emyooga, parish development, universal primary education and universal secondary education must not be tolerated.

Contractors who deliver shoddy work, absentee health workers, theft of medicines, and illegal land evictions are all signs of failure in supervision. Let us renew our vigilance and refocus on service delivery” she urged the leaders.

Maj. Asiimwe further called for collective action involving religious leaders, political leaders, civil society and civil servants to combat corruption, which she said has deeply affected the nation.

"Leaders should not fear to speak and to expose the corrupt RDCs, civil servants and other security actors: remain vigilant, remain professional, and serve above self. Always remember, we are servants of the people, not masters. Let us remember that the government is not a mystery. It is you and I, working together to make sure roads are built, classrooms constructed, water sources maintained, and our youth employed not frustrated” she added.

Maj. Asiimwe also urged leaders and civil servants to demonstrate patriotism, transparency and accountability, noting that these are key pillars of good leadership.

She further emphasised the need to focus on job creation, increasing household incomes, modernising infrastructure and ensuring that all Ugandans benefit from the country’s peace and stability. She encouraged the use of initiatives such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga to move communities from subsistence to participation in the money economy.

Service delivery challenges

Edward Lwanga, the Hoima city town clerk, commended the government for its continued support but noted that the city faces several challenges affecting service delivery.

He said the city service commission recently recruited teachers after receiving clearance from the Ministry of Public Service, but the teachers have not yet been added to the payroll. As a result, they have gone over six months without pay, a situation that is affecting the education sector.

Lwanga added that the city is also grappling with inadequate funding, as it is still operating under a municipal budget structure, which limits effective service delivery.

He further cited inadequate staffing levels as another challenge affecting operations in the city.

Sylvia Nalumaga, the Hoima city deputy mayor, said the city lacks road equipment to maintain over 600 kilometres of roads, forcing authorities to hire equipment at high cost.

She also pointed to low local revenue collection, noting that the city has a local revenue target of sh2 billion, which is not always realised. She added that the absence of a city hospital continues to affect health service delivery.

Baduru Mugabi, the Hoima city resident commissioner, said the city has benefited from several government programmes. He noted that Hoima city has 16 parishes, which have cumulatively received sh5.6 billion, benefiting 4,905 households under the Parish Development Model.

He added that the city has also benefited from the Emyooga programme, with 36 SACCOs and 9,125 members receiving a total of sh1.5 billion from the government.