Four Bulambuli officials interdicted as local govt corruption crackdown widens
The move follows a high-level ministerial visit and community audit in Bulambuli, which exposed what the ministry described as severe lapses in public management.
Local government permanent secretary Ben Kumumanya. (File)
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The Ministry of Local Government has ordered the immediate interdiction of four senior technical officials in Bulambuli district, marking the latest escalation in a wider central government crackdown on alleged administrative failures and financial mismanagement in local governments.
In a directive dated Monday, July 13, 2026, permanent secretary Ben Kumumanya instructed the Bulambuli chief administrative officer (CAO) to immediately suspend the district engineer, town engineer, town clerk and Senior Medical Officer Dr Mulongo Mohammed.
The move follows a high-level ministerial visit and community audit in Bulambuli, which exposed what the ministry described as severe lapses in public management.
According to the ministry, key government projects in the district were found to be significantly below standard, serving as "clear pointers to a serious breach of various laws and regulations" that have compromised essential service delivery for residents.
The officials now face allegations of gross negligence of duty, abuse of office, mismanagement of public resources and possible financial impropriety.
That suspension followed a high-level stakeholder meeting convened by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara, where local leaders raised concerns over operational failures affecting healthcare, education and human resource management.
The ministry’s accountability drive was further highlighted on July 9, when Jinja CAO Lillian Nakamatte was recalled to headquarters to allow an uninterrupted probe by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU).
Nakamatte faced allegations from the district council, led by speaker Simon Kibombo, including allegedly abetting corruption, deliberately withholding Bills of Quantities and ignoring council resolutions.
Among the irregularities cited in Jinja was the repeated allocation of sh15m over three consecutive financial years to repair an ageing district passenger vehicle, despite previous council resolutions to sell it.
Nakamatte, who had reportedly exceeded the typical three-to-five-year rotation period for senior civil servants, has denied the accusations, attributing the dispute to a misunderstanding of operational boundaries by newly elected councillors.
The investigations
To ensure impartial investigations across all affected districts, Permanent Secretary Kumumanya said the interdictions were necessary to "pave the way for investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and other relevant government agencies."
Specialised anti-graft bodies are expected to conduct forensic audits and field verifications across the affected sectors.
The disciplinary actions are being enforced under Section 14(F-s) of the Public Service Standing Orders, 2021, with Kumumanya describing the Bulambuli directive as an "urgent action."
Copies of the suspension orders have been forwarded to senior government oversight offices, including the Minister of Local Government, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), the head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, and the respective resident district commissioners (RDCs).