President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s sustained drive to strengthen accountability and intensify the fight against corruption is gaining fresh momentum, with at least Shs22.7 billion in public funds now linked to corruption-related complaints and cases under investigation across the country.
The development comes as the nationwide “Expose the Corrupt” campaign, being implemented through a coordinated government approach led by Minister of Local Government Hon. Balaam Barugahara and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), continues to uncover alleged weaknesses in the management of public resources and delivery of government programmes.
The campaign has so far resulted in the arrest of 267 suspects, interdiction of 253 officials and the arraignment of nearly 40 accused persons, as government strengthens efforts to ensure that public resources are protected and government services reach their intended beneficiaries.
Head of SHACU, Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke, said the figures demonstrate the growing scale of citizen complaints and the increasing determination of government institutions to act on allegations of corruption, abuse of office, misuse of public resources and poor service delivery.
He, however, clarified that the Shs22.7 billion figure represents funds implicated in matters still under investigation and should not be interpreted as money conclusively established to have been stolen or lost.
According to Brig. Gen. Isoke, the actual financial loss, recoverable resources and criminal liability in the respective cases will only be established after investigations, audits, verification of financial records, forensic examination and other specialised processes are completed.
He made the remarks during an engagement with the Presidential Press Unit team at the SHACU offices in Kampala, where he outlined the progress of the campaign and its wider impact on accountability and service delivery.
The campaign is rooted in President Museveni’s directive that government leaders and anti-corruption agencies should move closer to citizens and establish directly whether government programmes are delivering the services and benefits for which public resources are allocated.
President Museveni has repeatedly challenged leaders to go beyond relying solely on reports from local government officials and instead engage communities to establish the actual situation on the ground.
Addressing the NRM Parliamentary Caucus at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds last week, the President observed that Uganda would have progressed much further economically if corruption had not undermined government programmes.
“This campaign, which people like Balaam are doing, is implementing what NRM has been telling you all the time,” President Museveni said.
The President’s directive has consequently provided a stronger platform for citizens to report suspected corruption, mismanagement and failures in public service delivery, with SHACU working alongside the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and other relevant government institutions.
Brig. Gen. Isoke described the multi-agency campaign as a force multiplier in the fight against corruption, saying stronger coordination and citizen participation could significantly degrade corruption within local governments.
“The campaign is a force multiplier in our efforts to eradicate corruption in our country. It involves a whole-of-government approach and, given the goodwill of all leaders at various levels and support by the citizens, corruption in local governments will be substantially degraded,” he said.
The campaign is not being measured merely by the number of arrests made. According to SHACU, its broader objective is to expose weaknesses within government systems, stop ongoing abuse, recover public resources, strengthen internal controls and improve service delivery.
Investigations have covered a wide range of sectors, including procurement and contract management, District Service Commission recruitment, land administration, Parish Development Model (PDM) funds, roads, schools, health facilities, infrastructure and other government programmes.
SHACU says the growing participation of citizens is particularly important because many cases involving abuse of public resources and poor service delivery are first identified at community level.
“The fight against corruption is a people’s responsibility,” Brig. Gen. Isoke said.
The campaign has so far generated 124 case files from complaints received by SHACU, with the files currently at different stages of investigation, review and prosecution.
SHACU has stressed that every complaint is independently assessed and that not every allegation raised during public barazas automatically becomes a criminal case.
The complaints have nevertheless helped identify recurring risk areas within local governments, including procurement, recruitment, land administration, implementation of government wealth-creation programmes, infrastructure development and weaknesses in public service delivery.
Other complaints have involved illegal charges in government schools, abuse of office, alleged diversion or misuse of public resources and inadequate supervision.
Recent operations have also exposed alleged irregularities involving roads, schools, health facilities, markets and PDM programmes.
In Busia, for instance, investigations have highlighted allegations ranging from inflated school enrolment figures and illegal school charges to shoddy infrastructure, missing streetlights, irregularities involving PDM funds and poor service delivery.
The campaign has also translated into prosecutions. In July, four Mbale local government officials arrested during the “Expose the Corrupt” campaign were arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court over allegations including unlawful charging of school fees under the Universal Secondary Education programme and abuse of office.
Why arrests do not always lead immediately to court
The difference between the 267 arrests and nearly 40 arraignments has raised questions about the progression of cases after suspects are arrested.
Brig. Gen. Isoke explained that an arrest is not itself proof that a person will ultimately be prosecuted, noting that investigators and prosecutors must establish sufficient evidence before charges can proceed to court.
He said some suspects remain under investigation, while others may be released where available evidence is insufficient at a particular stage.
Other cases require additional documentation, auditing, forensic examination, expert analysis or action by other competent institutions before investigations can be completed.
“The wide difference in the number of arrests and those arraigned in court reflects the fact that investigations and prosecution processes take time,” Brig. Gen. Isoke said.
He explained that investigators may in some circumstances need to arrest suspects promptly to prevent interference with investigations, secure documents and other evidence, record statements and establish the facts surrounding alleged offences.
For SHACU, therefore, the success of the campaign cannot be reduced to arrest figures alone.
Brig. Gen. Isoke said the wider impact is already being felt, with arrests in some districts encouraging officials elsewhere to implement works and services that had previously been neglected.
He also said the campaign had strengthened public confidence in reporting suspected corruption, as citizens increasingly believe that their complaints can trigger government action.
SHACU and the whole-of-government approach
Questions about the working relationship between SHACU and Minister of Local Government Hon. Balaam Barugahara have also been raised, particularly regarding institutional independence.
Brig. Gen. Isoke said the cooperation should be viewed within the wider government effort to combat corruption and strengthen accountability.
He explained that the campaign requires joint action among government institutions, ministries, local governments and citizens, while SHACU continues to coordinate corruption complaints with constitutionally mandated agencies responsible for investigation and prosecution.
He commended Hon. Barugahara for mobilising local government leaders and citizens to participate in the campaign, noting that SHACU also works with other ministries and government institutions in addressing fraud, abuse and corruption.
The campaign has already traversed several regions, including Busoga, Bukedi, Bugisu, Sebei, Ankole, Buganda and Tooro, and has now expanded to the Bunyoro sub-region.
Teams are currently operating in Kiryandongo, Masindi, Buliisa, Hoima and Hoima City, where they are inspecting government facilities and programmes, including health centres, roads, schools, markets and wealth-creation initiatives such as PDM and Emyooga.
For President Museveni and SHACU, the campaign represents more than a crackdown on individual suspects. It is intended to strengthen government systems, protect public resources, improve internal controls and ensure that citizens receive the services and opportunities promised through government programmes.
As investigations continue, SHACU maintains that the Shs22.7 billion figure will ultimately be subjected to the necessary verification and accountability processes, while cases supported by sufficient evidence will proceed through the appropriate legal channels.
The campaign has also reinforced the message that accountability is not solely the responsibility of government institutions. Through the “See Something, Say Something” approach, citizens are being encouraged to remain vigilant, report suspected abuse and participate actively in protecting public resources.
Brig. Gen. Isoke said continued citizen participation, combined with stronger coordination among government institutions, would remain critical to reducing corruption and ensuring that public resources are used for their intended purposes.
