Balaam Orders Arrest, Interdiction of Ibanda District Officials

What the report says

Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara has ordered the arrest and interdiction of several Ibanda District officials over allegations of corruption, abuse of office, mismanagement of public funds and extortion, according to Nile Post. The action came after his visit to the district as part of the government’s wider “Expose the Corrupt” campaign.

The report says the minister was dissatisfied after several heads of department were reportedly absent when he asked the Chief Administrative Officer to gather them for an accountability session. Among those named in the directive were former CAO Dan Ruhemba Kweyamba, District Engineer John Bosco Tumussime, District Education Officer Peter Nsimire, District Health Officer Dr Julius Bamwine and Human Resource Officer Aloysius Kasingye. Barugahara also raised concerns about alleged sale of government jobs and poor accountability in district departments.

He further questioned reports that some government-aided schools in Ibanda were charging parents high fees, saying public schools should not become a burden on households. The minister called for an investigation into the education department over the alleged charges.

Nile Post also noted that the minister challenged the use of more than Shs900 million said to have been spent on security lights in Ibanda Municipality, after reportedly finding some lights not functioning. The developments have renewed scrutiny of a district that has previously performed well in national local government assessments, adding to broader questions about whether strong scorecard results always reflect service delivery on the ground.