Minister Barugahara criticises scale of Jinja district headquarters project
Barugahara said the district had already spent sh3.9 billion on the project and should limit any additional expenditure to about sh2 billion.
Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara (L), joined by Jinja district leaders as he was arriving to inspect the Jinja district headquarters construction site at Magamaga village in Buwenge town council on July 8th. (Photos by Donald Kiirya)
________________
Local government minister Balaam Barugahara has urged Jinja district leaders to scale down the planned district headquarters project, describing the proposed sh19 billion expenditure as extravagant and misaligned with the district's development priorities.
While commending the district leadership, including Jinja LC5 chairperson Moses Batwala, the district council, Members of Parliament and technical teams for their efforts in developing Jinja following the creation of Jinja city, the minister raised concerns over resource allocation after inspecting the incomplete headquarters at Magamaga village in Buwenge town council on July 8, 2026.
“The building is very nice. The plan is nice,” minister Barugahara acknowledged.
However, he argued that spending such a large sum on a single district headquarters does not make economic sense when many subcounties lack office buildings and health facilities require additional funding.
He proposed reducing the project's overall budget.
“We should reduce it to a maximum of sh7.5 billion total so that the remaining sh11.5 billion be channelled to health centre IIIs, to the referral hospital of the district, and also building staff units and staff quarters,” the minister said.
Barugahara said the district had already spent sh3.9 billion on the project and should limit any additional expenditure to about sh2 billion.
Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara (L) addressing journalists and other Jinja district officials after inspecting the Jinja district headquarters construction site at Magamaga village in Buwenge town council on July 8th. Looking on is Butembe County MP Grace Kiirya Wanzala (2nd L) and Jinja district LC5 chairperson Moses Batwala (C). 
Oversized council chamber draws criticism
The minister was particularly critical of the size of the proposed council chamber.
“Your council chamber is bigger than the current Parliament of Uganda,” he remarked, noting that Uganda's Parliament serves more than 500 members while Jinja district has only 24 councillors.
“What is the other space for? Is it football? Do you have a tournament?” Barugahara asked while inspecting the incomplete premises.
The district had planned a chamber with a capacity of 150 people despite having only 24 councillors.
Barugahara directed that the additional structures and conference halls adjacent to the main building be redesigned into office space instead.
He questioned the need to construct a facility comparable in scale to Makerere University for what is essentially an administrative headquarters.
The minister stressed that development should prioritise service delivery and efficient systems rather than large buildings.
“Strong economies are not built by structures, by the building, but they are built by the system,” he said.
Instead of investing heavily in the headquarters, Barugahara advocated empowering local communities by diversifying agriculture beyond sugarcane and promoting other cash crops.
“Let us leave a legacy of making Ugandans rich rather than building structures which are redundant,” he concluded.
He nevertheless commended Jinja LC5 chairperson Moses Batwala, chief administrative officer Lillian Nakamatte and the project architects for the design of the new headquarters, describing the relocation of the district headquarters from Jinja city to Buwenge in rural Jinja as a good idea.
He also praised Semwo Construction Company for the quality of work so far, saying that conditions on some projects in other districts, including Amolatar, were far less impressive.
Barugahara instructed the contractor to prepare a revised Bill of Quantities (BOQ) that should not exceed sh7.5 billion.
The minister said he would present his observations and recommendations to President Yoweri Museveni.
His remarks come amid the government's broader push for prudent public spending and bringing services closer to communities through investment at sub-county level.
During the visit, Batwala commended the central government under President Yoweri Museveni for supporting the project.
He also welcomed minister Barugahara's advice regarding the development.
Butembe County MP Grace Kiirya Wanzala said he was satisfied with what he observed at the site, adding that concerns raised earlier during a district council meeting did not reflect the progress made on the ground.
Barugahara later toured Buwenge General Hospital and Vic View Nursery and Primary School in Mpumudde, Jinja city, before travelling to Mbale.