Inside the waste exposed by ministers’ surprise visits

What the report says

The Observer reported that surprise inspections by Local Government ministers Balaam Barugahara and Justine Nameere have exposed suspected waste and abuse of public funds in several Ugandan districts. The findings cited in the report include absent staff allegedly drawing salaries at Naiku Health Centre III in eastern Uganda, sharply lower-than-recorded pupil attendance at schools, and a Shs 73 million toilet project in Bulambuli that was unusable because it lacked a pit or sewer connection.

According to the report, inspectors found that Nabumali Secondary School had roughly 250 learners present despite government support tied to more than 1,000 students, while Naiku Primary School had 705 pupils present against records listing 1,386. The Observer said a draft report indicated school officials acknowledged inflating numbers to draw more funding. The inspections also raised concerns about substandard works, including a Bulambuli bridge whose alleged defects were estimated to have caused a Shs 500 million loss.

Barugahara told The Observer that at least 157 officials in Bulambuli had been arrested under the “Expose the Corrupt” campaign, with some charged before the Anti-Corruption Court and others interdicted. The article also cited concerns in road works, hospital services, and costly administrative buildings, including a proposed Jinja district headquarters budget that Barugahara said should be cut from Shs 19 billion to Shs 7 billion.

The report matters because it links everyday service failures—understaffed health centres, weak school accountability, poor roads and stalled public buildings—to wider concerns about corruption and supervision in local government. Several allegations remain subject to investigation and court processes.