WEST NILE AWAITS BALAAM’S EXPOSE THE CORRUPT CAMPAIGN

By Morish Dramadri

Arua city

With just a day remaining before the arrival of the Minister for Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, in West Nile, stakeholders across the region have welcomed his anti-corruption campaign, while urging him to pay greater attention to persistent challenges in the health and road sectors.

On July 8 this year, Hon. Balaam Barugahara launched his nationwide “Expose the Corrupt” campaign in Bulambuli District. The initiative, aimed at strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery in local governments, has since traversed the Greater Masaka and Ankole regions.

The minister is expected to enter West Nile through Pakwach and Nebbi districts on Thursday, raising expectations among residents eager to see action against corruption and poor public service delivery.

Uganda’s anti-corruption efforts have traditionally been spearheaded through institutions such as the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Office of the Auditor General, Parliament’s accountability committees, and law enforcement agencies.

However, concerns over persistent corruption have prompted calls for more direct citizen involvement in exposing wrongdoing, an approach that forms the basis of Balaam’s campaign.

Robina Letasi Ogere, a student at Uganda Christian University in Arua, appealed to the minister to investigate gaps in health service delivery at Arua Regional Referral Hospital and address the deteriorating road network within Arua City.

“This is a correct move and I support it fully. My main concern is the challenges people are facing in the hospital and then our roads. I have been to that hospital and witnessed people suffering. I think these are some of the issues he should focus on,” Robina said.

Feni Twaib, the Chief Executive Officer of the West Nile Civil Society Network (WESCINET), welcomed the initiative, describing it as a practical execution of one of the Ministry of Local Government’s core mandates—supervision and monitoring of public service delivery.

“Hon. Balaam is carrying out one of the responsibilities expected of the ministry, which is supervision. I encourage people to speak up and expose the corrupt so that public resources can be put to proper use,” Feni noted.

Similarly, Hon. Godfrey Anguyo, the former Ayivu North City Councilor, believes Balaam’s visit to West Nile reflects growing public concern over the effectiveness of existing anti-corruption mechanisms in the country.

He urged residents to actively participate in exposing corruption and holding public officials accountable. “We have the IGG and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit already in place, but many people are still asking what impact has been made. In my view, the approach Balaam is using has come at the right time because some of the existing strategies have not yielded the desired results,” Anguyo said.

Meanwhile, Job Richard Matua, the Assistant Resident City Commissioner for Arua City and an anti-corruption advocate, applauded the minister’s “Expose the Corrupt” approach.

He urged residents to honestly identify areas affected by corruption and poor service delivery rather than politicizing the campaign.

“Corruption in Uganda has reached an industrial scale. The corrupt are within the system, and many are very powerful. They may not fear the courts, police, or even the IGG, but they fear public exposure. That is the strength of the minister’s approach, and it should not be politicized,” Matua said.

According to the minister’s itinerary, Hon. Balaam Barugahara will visit three districts in the West Nile sub-region: Pakwach District on Thursday, Maracha District on Friday, and Moyo District on Saturday.

Residents and leaders across the region are expected to use the engagements to highlight concerns over corruption, accountability, and the quality of public services.