Uganda: Museveni Warns MPs On Corruption, Absenteeism in Public Service

What the report says

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni used a meeting of the National Resistance Movement’s parliamentary caucus in Kampala to press party lawmakers to step up oversight of government programmes and help curb corruption in public service delivery. According to The Independent (Kampala), the remarks came at the 3rd NRM Parliamentary Caucus of the 12th Parliament at Speke Resort Munyonyo, where Museveni urged MPs to stay focused on the needs of ordinary Ugandans and the party’s wider socioeconomic goals.

Museveni singled out practices he said undermine government work in constituencies, including the alleged sale of public jobs by district service commissions and reports that officials handling the Parish Development Model demand kickbacks from beneficiaries. He said the anti-poverty programme should help households improve their livelihoods, not become a source of enrichment for officials.

He also called for tighter monitoring of public health facilities, especially staff attendance and the distribution of medicines. The president warned that habitual absentee doctors could face dismissal, while government looks to expand the use of intern doctors and improve their pay to address staffing shortages. He said accountability in the health sector is necessary to rebuild trust and improve services. More broadly, he linked the NRM’s political durability to its ability to deliver tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.