KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has thrown his weight behind the anti-corruption field inspections being conducted by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara and State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere, dismissing concerns that the ministers could be acting without sufficient evidence.
In a statement addressed to Ugandans on Wednesday 26, August 2026, Museveni said the scale and frequency of corruption complaints reaching government made it unlikely that the ministers were simply “Kutomera” — a term he used to describe blindly stumbling into problems.
His intervention comes as Barugahara and Nameere conduct surprise inspections and public barazas across local governments, scrutinising allegations involving public funds, payrolls, schools, health facilities and government projects.
The Ministry of Local Government says the campaign is intended to strengthen accountability and improve service delivery.
Museveni cites corruption complaints
Museveni said he had personally encountered numerous complaints about corruption, including allegations involving the Parish Development Model (PDM), the sale of local government jobs and “ghost” learners and teachers on government payrolls.
He recalled that his own campaign programme had previously been interrupted after citizens raised complaints about alleged corruption in PDM programmes.
The President also referred to complaints from elders in Bunyoro over the alleged sale of local government jobs.
“There are numerous stories about the ghosts of learners and teachers in Government Schools, as well as health centres of the Government,” Museveni said.
His comments come against the backdrop of findings reported during recent inspections. The Ministry of Local Government has said Nameere’s inspection in Budaka, for example, focused on accountability in education, health and PDM programmes, including allegations involving ghost workers and learners.
The wider campaign has already resulted in disciplinary action against local government officials. At least 110 staff were reported to be facing interdiction following inspections, with allegations including ghost workers and pupils, misuse of public funds, procurement irregularities and poor implementation of government projects.
Museveni calls for dedicated prosecution team
Rather than questioning the field operations, Museveni said the focus should now shift to processing the evidence collected during the inspections.
He called on the Director of Public Prosecutions to designate a dedicated officer to quickly assess the evidence and pursue cases where there is sufficient basis for prosecution.
“The challenge now is for the DPP to have a dedicated officer that can quickly assess the abundant evidence against these criminals so that they are prosecuted,” Museveni said.
The President argued that the ministers’ use of public barazas had helped bypass what he described as a system in which some officials and sections of the elite shield corruption complaints from reaching decision-makers.
According to Museveni, allowing citizens to raise complaints directly during public meetings had helped expose problems that might otherwise remain hidden.
‘Do not cover up corruption’
Museveni urged government officials to report corruption rather than protect colleagues suspected of wrongdoing, while calling on citizens to provide information about suspected graft.
He said the failure to act on corruption was partly attributable to officials responsible for protecting public interests and members of the elite who had access to senior decision-makers but failed to report wrongdoing.
He cited MP Chris Byamukama as an example of an official who had reported an alleged extortion racket operating within State House.
Museveni said the suspects were subsequently trapped and arrested.
“This corruption in Uganda is stoppable,” he said.
The President also disclosed that he had previously assigned former Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi to follow up corruption complaints raised by citizens.
Museveni said Magyezi visited some of the affected areas but suggested that decisive action had not followed.
Anti-corruption drive faces scrutiny
The President’s endorsement comes as the methods used by Barugahara and Nameere have themselves attracted scrutiny.
The Deputy Inspector General of Government, Anne Muhairwe, has cautioned the ministers to ensure their operations remain within the law, warning that anti-corruption efforts must not be undermined by unlawful actions.
Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi has also questioned an approach he said appeared to place emphasis on arrests, arguing that enforcement should be based on evidence gathered during inspections.
The Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers has separately challenged the treatment of engineers during some inspections, accusing officials of ordering arrests and publicly humiliating professionals before technical investigations had been completed.
The concerns have emerged alongside a growing list of actions following the inspections. In August, 26 local government officials in the Ankole sub-region were reported to be facing interdiction over alleged corruption, financial mismanagement and administrative failures.
In Maracha District, 16 officials were arrested over allegations including mismanagement of government funds, poor workmanship, irregular recruitment and inflated school enrolment figures.
Museveni hails public response
Museveni said the crowds attending Barugahara and Nameere’s public meetings demonstrated renewed public interest in the government’s anti-corruption campaign.
He compared the gatherings with the early years of the National Resistance Movement, when large numbers of people attended public meetings without being offered food, water or other incentives.
Also Read: ‘Corruption must stop’: Nameere backs Muhoozi’s hardline approach
The President’s endorsement effectively places the two ministers’ field operations at the centre of his administration’s renewed push against corruption and poor service delivery.
The next test, however, will be whether allegations uncovered during the inspections translate into properly investigated cases, disciplinary action and successful prosecutions.
That distinction is particularly important as government agencies continue to balance the demand for tougher action against corruption with requirements for evidence, due process and the rights of accused officials.
Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo recently made the same point, saying anti-corruption operations must remain firm while respecting constitutional rights and due process.
