BY Kaboha
Residents of Fort Portal Tourism City have welcomed Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara’s ongoing campaign against corruption in local governments, calling for stronger accountability among public officials.
Minister Barugahara launched the nationwide campaign, dubbed “Expose and Fight Corrupt Officials in Local Governments,” on July 10, 2026, in Bulambuli District. The campaign involves grassroots tours, public barazas and investigations into alleged misuse of public resources and poor service delivery.
The minister’s interventions have so far resulted in the interdiction and arrest of several local government officials accused of financial mismanagement and other forms of abuse of public resources.
Kansiime Marjorie, a former candidate for the Fort Portal City Woman Member of Parliament seat, has praised the minister’s hands-on approach, saying the campaign is long overdue.
Speaking to Jubilee Radio on Thursday, Kansiime urged residents and local leaders to support the anti-corruption drive, arguing that public officials must be held accountable for resources entrusted to them.
She called for greater scrutiny of officials at different levels of local government, including LC5 chairpersons, city and municipal mayors and speakers, members of district and city service commissions, chief administrative officers and town clerks.
Kansiime said accountability should not only focus on junior officials, but should extend to senior leaders responsible for planning, budgeting, supervising and implementing government programmes.
Minister Barugahara, who is currently touring the Tooro region, says the campaign is intended to strengthen accountability and transparency while ensuring that public resources are used for their intended purposes.
He has emphasized that fighting corruption at the local government level is critical to improving service delivery and ensuring that government programmes benefit ordinary Ugandans.