Anxiety has gripped civil servants in Bududa District ahead of an anticipated visit by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi under the government’s “Expose the Corrupt” campaign, which has already resulted in arrests and interdictions of public officials in other parts of the Bugisu sub-region.
The campaign, launched by Minister Balaam alongside State Minister for Local Government Justine Namere, seeks to improve service delivery by identifying corruption cases and recovering public funds lost through abuse of office.
While residents have welcomed the planned inspection, saying it will strengthen accountability in the implementation of government programmes, several district officials are reportedly uneasy, with some hoping the minister’s visit is postponed or cancelled.
The tension was noticeable during a meeting held on Monday at the Bududa District headquarters, attended by heads of departments, head teachers, health facility in-charges, parish chiefs and other government officials. Participants appeared unusually quiet and apprehensive throughout the engagement.
Bududa Chief Administrative Officer Max Martin Mukula urged civil servants not to panic or abandon their workplaces, encouraging them to cooperate with investigators and provide accurate information whenever required.
Mukula also cautioned officials against fleeing to neighbouring Kenya following reports that some civil servants were considering crossing the border to avoid possible accountability. He warned that such actions would only affect service delivery in the district.
On the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM), Mukula advised parish chiefs accused of mismanaging programme funds to prepare to face legal action.
He further directed officials who allegedly failed to provide beneficiaries with the full Shs1 million required under the programme to refund the missing funds before the minister’s inspection.
The minister’s visit is expected to assess service delivery, investigate allegations of corruption and evaluate the management of government programmes in the district.
By Our Reporter
4th Aug 2026
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