The renewed fight against corruption has emerged as one of the defining governance priorities of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s current term of office. The campaign is not only aimed at punishing those who misuse public resources but also at restoring integrity in public service, protecting taxpayers’ money and ensuring that every Ugandan benefits from government programmes.
President Museveni has consistently emphasised that corruption is not merely the theft of public funds; it is the theft of opportunities from ordinary citizens. It denies mothers access to quality health services, deprives children of better schools, limits farmers’ access to reliable infrastructure and delays the development projects communities depend on.
As Minister for the Presidency, I have had the privilege of supervising one of the key institutions at the centre of this fight—the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), and their deputies and assistants.
While recent anti-corruption operations have attracted significant national attention, it is important for Ugandans to recognise that the foundation of this work has for many years been built by these officers, who serve as the President’s representatives in districts and cities across the country.
Their mandate places them at the heart of monitoring government programmes, supervising service delivery and ensuring that public resources are utilised for their intended purposes.
Every day, RDCs and RCCs inspect schools, health facilities, roads, markets, water projects and other government investments. Through these routine oversight activities, they have uncovered numerous cases involving payments for incomplete projects, poor-quality construction works, inflated contracts, fraudulent land transactions and other forms of misuse of public resources.
Many government agencies have been compelled to halt irregular payments after vigilant RDCs raised concerns before public funds were lost. Others have exposed contractors who abandoned projects after receiving advance payments or delivered work below required standards. In several districts, they have also helped resolve fraudulent land transactions that threatened government institutions and community interests.
Unfortunately, much of this work rarely receives public attention. This is largely because many RDCs operate quietly, often with limited operational resources and without dedicated platforms to publicise every case they uncover or every corrupt practice they prevent.
Their work therefore follows established government procedures. Under their Terms of Reference, RDCs and RCCs are required to compile detailed monitoring reports and submit them to the Office of the President through the Ministry for the Presidency. These reports are reviewed and analysed before being presented to His Excellency the President.
It is through this continuous flow of information from across the country that government identifies systemic weaknesses, strengthens accountability mechanisms and designs broader interventions to combat corruption.
Indeed, many policy decisions aimed at improving supervision of public projects have been informed by reports generated by RDCs and RCCs over the years.
The current intensified anti-corruption campaign should therefore not be viewed as replacing existing supervisory structures. Rather, it complements and strengthens the work that has already been ongoing.
I commend the Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, and Justine Nameere for the energy and visibility they have brought to this campaign.
Their nationwide engagements have helped amplify the work that has long been undertaken by RDCs and other government supervisory institutions. Public confidence has grown as citizens witness investigations being conducted openly and government agencies working together more closely.
As inspection teams continue moving across the country, I direct all RDCs, RCCs and their deputies to remain present at their duty stations whenever these teams visit their respective districts and cities.
Their involvement is important because they possess institutional knowledge of many projects under review. They should actively support investigations by providing information from monitoring reports previously submitted and helping investigators identify gaps, improve reporting and strengthen follow-up actions.
An effective and evidence-based anti-corruption campaign can only succeed when all government supervisory structures operate as one coordinated team.
Like any public institution, the RDC establishment is not without challenges. There have been isolated cases where individual officers have failed to meet the expected standards of performance.
Where this has occurred, government has taken action. Through the Ministry for the Presidency, some officers have been transferred, relieved of their responsibilities or subjected to other administrative measures where necessary.
Accountability must begin with those entrusted with enforcing it.
However, it is also important to acknowledge that some RDCs have faced personal attacks for confronting corruption. Powerful interests that benefit from illegal payments, fraudulent land dealings or questionable contracts do not always surrender quietly.
In some cases, officers who challenge corruption have faced malicious propaganda, false accusations and intimidation aimed at discouraging them from carrying out their duties.
Government continues to treat all complaints against RDCs seriously. Allegations are investigated objectively, and where wrongdoing is established, appropriate action is taken. Equally, officers who are falsely accused and cleared are entitled to protection and vindication.
Honest public servants must be protected from intimidation while remaining fully accountable for their conduct.
I also wish to commend the people of Uganda for their continued participation in the fight against corruption. Information provided by citizens during village barazas and other community engagements has become one of government’s most valuable tools in identifying cases of abuse.
Many investigations begin with a simple complaint from an ordinary citizen who refuses to remain silent after witnessing wrongdoing. These reports provide important leads that investigative agencies can verify and act upon.
We therefore encourage Ugandans to continue reporting corruption responsibly through established government channels. Citizen participation remains critical in ensuring that public resources are protected.
This renewed momentum against corruption has also been strengthened by the political will demonstrated by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. His consistent directive that corruption must be confronted at every level has reinforced government’s commitment to ensuring that no public official misuses resources meant for citizens.
I also commend the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, whose support for national efforts against corruption has contributed to government’s resolve to confront criminal networks that undermine public service delivery.
Corruption has denied Uganda valuable resources for far too long. Defeating it requires commitment from every institution, public servant and citizen.
Our RDCs and RCCs have been playing this role for many years. They remain some of the country’s most important frontline defenders of accountability and deserve support, cooperation and recognition.
Together, through stronger oversight, citizen participation and coordinated action, we can protect public resources, improve service delivery and ensure that government programmes reach every Ugandan as intended.
The author is the Minister for the Presidency and Budiope West MP.