Minister Babalanda urges local leaders to root out corruption enablers

What the report says

Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda has urged local government leaders and public servants in Uganda to confront the conditions that allow corruption to persist, saying the problem continues to weaken service delivery and slow national development. According to Nile Post, she delivered the remarks while speaking for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the close of a Ministry of Local Government meeting on implementing the presidential anti-corruption directive, held at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.

Babalanda praised public servants she described as committed to delivering government programmes to intended beneficiaries, but warned that corruption goes beyond misuse of funds. She said it can deprive citizens of education, healthcare, support for farmers, clean water, roads and other essential services. The minister also said weak internal oversight within public institutions creates space for corrupt practices to grow.

The article says she singled out procurement as another major risk area, citing irregular processes that can lead to payments for ghost or substandard projects, poor-quality work, and misleading monitoring reports. She said these weaknesses can leave roads, classrooms, markets and other facilities unfinished even after contractors have been paid.

Babalanda called for stronger accountability, better enforcement of procurement laws and more serious oversight by local leaders. Her message comes as Uganda continues broader efforts to curb corruption and improve the delivery of public services, an issue that remains central to governance and development debates.