Speaking on NBS Morning Breeze, Balaam said his recent surprise inspections of schools, health facilities, roads and local government projects are aimed at ensuring that government programmes translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
“I was not appointed to sit at Workers’ House and take tea,” he said, adding that his responsibility is to supervise local governments where Ugandans interact with public services.
The minister said his inspections have revealed discrepancies between official reports and conditions on the ground.
He cited instances where school enrolment figures submitted to government did not correspond with the number of learners physically attending classes, raising concerns about accountability for resources allocated based on those figures.
Balaam also pointed to health facilities where patients were present but key medical personnel were absent from duty, arguing that such shortcomings deny citizens the quality services they are entitled to receive.
“The common man does not want grammar. The common man wants improved service delivery,” he said.
He argued that corruption extends beyond the theft of public funds and includes absenteeism, negligence, false reporting and failure by public officials to deliver services.
According to Balaam, government should measure success not only by how money is spent but by whether investments improve people's lives.
Using rural roads as an example, he said many communities are simply asking for functional roads that facilitate transport and economic activity.
“They want a road, even if it is not tarmac. They want murram, not soil,” he said.
Balaam emphasised that his role is to identify failures and refer suspected wrongdoing to institutions with investigative and prosecutorial mandates.
“I don’t have a jail. I don’t have court. I’m not the DPP,” he said.
His public inspections have drawn mixed reactions, with supporters saying they are increasing accountability among local leaders, while critics argue that they risk prioritising public spectacle over deeper institutional reforms.
Responding to concerns that the approach focuses more on visibility than systemic change, Balaam likened the process to treating a wound.
“If you have a wound, you don’t start by injecting directly into the wound. You first kill the pain, wash the wound and dress it,” he said.
He argued that exposing failures is the first step towards addressing them.
Balaam said the effectiveness of the campaign will ultimately be judged not by the number of inspections conducted but by improvements in service delivery, including the availability of teachers and health workers, better roads and more accountable use of public resources.