Minister for Local Government Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi’s anti-corruption crackdown has triggered a major shake-up in Namisindwa District Local Government, with several officials facing investigations, some offices left unattended and service delivery disrupted.
While supporting the minister’s efforts to fight corruption, Namisindwa District Chairperson Emma Bwayo said the extensive operation has created an atmosphere of fear among public officials, affecting normal operations in some departments.
“It has worked in two ways. We have benefited, but it has also cost us,” Bwayo said.
His remarks come days after the Ministry of Local Government directed the interdiction of six senior district officials to pave way for investigations into allegations of gross negligence, abuse of office, mismanagement of public resources and possible financial impropriety.
In a July 24, 2026 letter signed by Ministry Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya, the ministry instructed the Namisindwa Chief Administrative Officer to interdict David Mityero, Senior Agricultural Officer; William Lusayi, Senior Inspector of Schools; Julius Wesonga, Senior Assistant Town Clerk; Samuel Kurobe, Senior Assistant Town Clerk; Eng. Robert Mukelule Tululukha, Civil Engineer; and Michael Ken Musau, Assistant Engineering Officer.
The ministry said the allegations against the officials had “greatly compromised service delivery in the district” and directed that the interdictions take immediate effect to allow investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and other relevant government agencies.
According to Bwayo, the minister’s inspection exposed long-standing governance weaknesses and triggered immediate action against several officials.
“We have already received instructions to interdict some staff. Investigations are still ongoing and more officials will be interdicted,” he said.
The district chairperson said the investigations have resulted in some senior officials staying away from their workplaces as scrutiny continues.
“For the whole of last week, many offices were empty. The district engineer has been away. The District Production Officer only recently returned and was arrested. Three town clerks are out, and even officers who were not mentioned have disappeared because they know they did wrong things,” Bwayo said.
He said an anti-corruption investigation team is currently in the district verifying allegations raised during the minister’s inspection.
“We now have an anti-corruption team in the district investigating everything that was mentioned to restore sanity and end the impunity that has characterised local governments,” he said.
Bwayo said the operation has sent a strong warning to both civil servants and political leaders.
“Balaam has sent waves of fear, including to us politicians. It is now very difficult for anyone to defend an officer before the minister,” he said.
Despite the disruptions, Bwayo believes the crackdown has started improving accountability among public officers, particularly in technical departments.
He said engineers are now likely to be more cautious about inflating project costs or approving works that are not properly executed.
“The operations in engineering are spot on. Engineers will now fear inflating figures for bridges or budgeting for roads that are never implemented,” he said.
However, the district chairperson warned that the operation has also created challenges in the education sector, where some schools have been affected following arrests of head teachers and their deputies during inspections.
“We are still struggling. Some schools may take close to five months to recover,” he said.
He added that some teachers employed under Parent-Teacher Association arrangements have withdrawn from work due to fears of being publicly embarrassed during inspections.
While insisting that corruption must be addressed firmly, Bwayo appealed to the minister to review the approach used in handling education sector cases.
“We should not shame our teachers. We should caution them, but at the same time preserve the dignity of the profession,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Bwayo maintained that Namisindwa District supports the anti-corruption campaign, saying it has exposed weaknesses that have affected service delivery for years.
“This is what we promised during campaigns—that governance must be built on systems. The minister’s intervention is helping us restore those systems,” he said.
As investigations continue and further disciplinary action is expected, Namisindwa District faces the challenge of ensuring accountability while maintaining uninterrupted delivery of public services.
