Retired Masaka City Town Clerk Hails Ministry’s Anti-Corruption Drive and Urban Governance Reforms

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda reported that retired Masaka City Town Clerk Daniel Christopher Kaweesi has praised a Ministry of Local Government initiative aimed at improving transparency in local government recruitment and strengthening urban administration. The report centers on a directive issued on September 20, 2024, under Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya, requiring local government bodies and leaders to publicly advertise vacancies and curb corrupt practices in hiring.

According to the publisher, the directive applies to institutions and officials including District Service Commissions, Town Clerks, Resident District Commissioners, city mayors and other local leaders. It was intended to reduce the influence of brokers who allegedly demand money from job seekers while claiming they can secure public service positions. Kaweesi, speaking at a farewell event at Garden Courts Hotel in Masaka City, said Masaka had followed the ministry’s guidance by advertising government jobs and advancing recruitment through formal procedures.

The report also links the reforms to wider urban governance changes in Masaka, including enforcement of trade order rules and the operation of Masaka Central Market and Nyendo Market. Kaweesi credited the ministry’s policy direction with supporting a more organized business environment, improved sanitation, revenue collection and administrative accountability in the city.

Watchdog Uganda framed the development within Uganda’s broader decentralization system, where local councils are key service-delivery structures under the 1995 Constitution and Local Governments Act. The article said several local governments, including Masaka, Mukono, Lyantonde, Mityana, Rakai, Kyotera and Mbarara, have adopted public job postings and tighter management practices. The significance, as reported, is that transparent recruitment and accountability measures are being presented as tools to rebuild trust in public institutions and improve implementation of government programs such as the Parish Development Model.