Leaders and residents in the Kigezi sub-region say the planned ministerial visit could help address alleged payroll fraud, pension irregularities and concerns over public infrastructure and market management.
Leaders and residents in the Kigezi sub-region have welcomed the planned visit by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara, scheduled to begin on Thursday, to investigate allegations of corruption in local governments, describing the move as long overdue.
The planned anti-corruption campaign comes as the Office of the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) investigates allegations involving ghost workers on the government payroll in Kabale District.
In a letter dated October 12, 2026, Kabale District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Robert Mugabe directed staff to appear physically for verification under the new Human Capital Management (HCM) system.
In an interview with Nile Post, Mugabe confirmed that he had directed a physical headcount of staff in Kabale District Local Government as part of efforts to combat corruption and clean up the payroll.
“The IGG is already investigating the existence of ghost workers on the payroll. A list of 42 ghost pensioners is being investigated,” Mugabe said.
He said the district had also decided to conduct an internal verification exercise to establish whether ghost pensioners were receiving payments illegally as the investigations continued.
Mugabe added that cleaning up the payroll for both serving employees and pensioners would help curb financial leakages and protect public funds.
“Government has been losing money to leakages that have enabled some civil servants to benefit illegally,” he said.
Minister Balaam's tour of the country has seen the arrest and interdiction of several local government officials across different sectors over accountability failures. From road works to classroms and hospitals to council halls, several officials have had to face the law.
Residents in the Kigezi sub-region, including Can. Jack Katarishagwa and Syson Mwebaze, urged the Ministry of Local Government to investigate concerns surrounding pension payments and infrastructure development.
They also called for the ministry’s intervention in the allocation of lock-ups at Kabale Central Market and the compensation process involving lock-up owners.
Kabale District employs more than 4,000 civil servants, according to the information provided by district officials, despite an earlier special audit and employee validation exercise conducted by the Office of the Auditor General across 367 government entities.
The planned visit is expected to provide an opportunity for leaders and residents to raise concerns about the management of public resources and seek accountability from local government authorities.