The anti-corruption broom being wielded by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara is sweeping through Uganda’s local governments, leaving a growing list of senior technical officers interdicted as the government moves to investigate allegations of abuse of office, gross negligence, mismanagement of public resources and possible financial impropriety, The Pearl Times reports.
Recently, Barugahara’s latest purge swept across the Ankole sub region, shaking officials in Isingiro, Buhweju, Mbarara City and Mitooma.
At least 36 officials were named in interdiction directives or orders issued following meetings convened by Barugahara, according to a count done by The Pearl Times.
Among those caught in the widening crackdown are Chief Administrative Officers, a deputy Chief Administrative Officer, a town clerk, district health and education chiefs, engineers, finance officers, procurement officials, revenue officers, agricultural officers and other technical staff.
The officials have been removed from their duties to pave the way for investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and other relevant government agencies.
The latest actions offer a glimpse into the scale of Barugahara’s increasingly aggressive campaign, which has taken the minister into districts where residents are being invited to raise complaints about the handling of public resources and government services.
The Ankole sweep
The interdictions began making headlines after the Ministry of Local Government moved against senior officials in Isingiro District, Buhweju District and Mbarara City.
Local Government Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya formally interdicted Isingiro District CAO Alice Asimwe Rushure, Buhweju District Deputy CAO Swizen Katambakyi and Mbarara City Town Clerk Justine Barekye in letters dated August 7, 2026.
Rushure’s interdiction followed a meeting held by Barugahara in Isingiro on August 6, where allegations concerning her conduct and the management of the district were raised.
“The issues raised in the meeting included gross negligence of duty, abuse of office, mismanagement of public resources and possible financial impropriety, which is said to have compromised service delivery in the district,” Kumumanya stated.
In Buhweju, Katambakyi was similarly placed under interdiction following a ministerial meeting on August 6.
“The issue raised in the meeting included gross negligence of duty, abuse of office, mismanagement of public resources and possible financial impropriety, which the minister said had compromised service delivery in the district,” Kumumanya said in a communication seen by The Pearl Times.
Mbarara City followed after Barugahara convened a meeting on August 4.
In his letter to Barekye, Kumumanya stated, “As you are aware, the minister convened a meeting in Mbarara City on August 4, 2026, and a number of issues were raised against you.”
The allegations in the three cases revolve around the same broad areas: alleged negligence, abuse of office, management of public resources and possible financial impropriety.
But the minister’s intervention did not stop with the top administrators.
Kumumanya directed Rushure, Katambakyi and Barekye to also interdict other technical staff whose names had emerged during the public meetings.
That widened the operation from the offices of the CAOs and town clerk to departments dealing directly with public money and essential services.
In Isingiro, Rushure was directed to interdict seven officials, including Chief Finance Officer Innocent Byabagire, District Engineer Mishaki Ayebazibwe, District Commercial Officer Patrick Musinguzi and Senior Procurement Officer Frank Kamwine.
The list also includes District Natural Resource Officer Emmanuel Bwengye, District Veterinary Officer Bruhan Kasozi and Principal Assistant Secretary Aloysius Gumisiriza.
In Buhweju, Katambakyi was directed to interdict Assistant District Health Officer Prudence Atukunda, Senior Assistant Secretary Gastone Bainemigisha, Senior Agricultural Engineer Flavia Nshemerirwe, Internal Auditor Charles Twinomugisha, Physical Planner Fred Twebaze and Senior Education Assistant Goretti Twinomuhoozi.
Two assistant nursing officers, John Byamukama and Aurella Katushabe, together with midwives Lilian Musimenta and Julian Tusasire, were also named.
Mbarara City’s list includes City Commercial Officer Allan Karukure, City Health Officer Mugisha Longino, Principal Treasurer Dunant Mugisha, Principal Revenue Officer Samuel Rwakinanga, Principal Revenue Officer Sancho Niwagaba, Senior Procurement Officer Edgar Atwiine, Senior Community Development Officer Mirabel Kabeigarire and Civil Engineer Ben Tumwijukye.
Mitooma joins the list
The operation moved deeper into Ankole on August 8, when Barugahara held a stakeholders’ meeting in Mitooma District.
A letter signed by Mitooma Chief Administrative Officer Masereka Amis Asuman and addressed to Kumumanya records a fresh batch of eight officials ordered to step aside immediately.
The meeting, held at the District Council Hall, focused on accountability, transparency, service delivery and the fight against corruption.
The official communication says the minister’s intervention followed various complaints raised during the meeting.
“As a result of various complaints, I was directed to interdict the following staff with immediate effect to pave way for investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and other relevant Government Agencies,” the Mitooma Chief Administrative Officer wrote, in a notice a copy of which The Pearl Times has obtained.
The eight officials named are Dr. Sadic Byamugisha, District Health Officer; Ms. Barungi Peace Gloria, District Education Officer; Eng. Tumwebaze JohnBaptist, Senior Engineer/Ag. District Engineer; Eng. Tumusiime Geofrey, Civil Engineer Water; Mr. Kagumire Godwin, Senior Environment Officer; Mr. Rugambwa Vicent, Senior Assistant Secretary; Mr. Mugumya Godfrey, Driver Scale U8; and Dr. Patrick Oloya, Medical Officer.
Unlike the letters covering some of the earlier cases, the Mitooma submission explicitly states that the affected staff have been interdicted for six months.
“The Purpose of this letter therefore is to communicate the above directive and submit that the staff listed above have been interdicted for six months as per the Hon. Minister’s directive line with Section (F-s) (14) of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders 2021.”
The letter, dated August 8, was copied to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government; the State House Anti-Corruption Unit; the Resident District Commissioner-Mitooma; and the District Chairperson-Mitooma.
The Mitooma action is significant because it shows the minister’s campaign is not confined to officials directly responsible for finance and procurement.
The latest list reaches into health, education, engineering, water, environment, administration and even transport.
It means that virtually every major area of local government service delivery is now coming under scrutiny as the government seeks to establish whether complaints raised by residents point to administrative failures, abuse of office or criminal conduct.
What happens after interdiction?
The interdictions are administrative measures rather than findings of guilt.
Kumumanya said the affected officials had been interdicted under Section F-S 14 of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders, 2021, and Regulation Number 38 of the Public Service Commission Regulations, 2009.
The purpose is to remove the officials from active duty while investigations are conducted.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit and other government agencies are expected to examine the allegations and establish whether there is evidence warranting further administrative or criminal action.
The affected staff will also face restrictions while the process continues.
While on interdiction, Kumumanya said the affected staff “will receive half of their salary and have been barred from accessing the ministry or district offices without express clearance from the ministry.”
They have also been prohibited from travelling outside Uganda without permission from the ministry.
The ministry directed the affected CAOs and Town Clerk to hand over their offices to their deputies in accordance with the Public Service Standing Orders, 2021.
In Mitooma, the directive similarly places the eight officials out of their respective offices for six months as investigations proceed.
Barugahara’s ‘Expose the Corrupt’ campaign
The latest wave of interdictions is part of Barugahara’s “Expose the Corrupt’ campaign, which has taken him through the Bugisu sub-region, Greater Masaka and Ankole.
The campaign has turned district meetings into a forum where residents can directly raise allegations concerning public resources, service delivery and the conduct of local government officials.
Several officials in Mbale and Namisindwa have already been arrested, interdicted or arraigned before courts of law following actions associated with the campaign.
The minister has increasingly framed the exercise as a push to restore accountability at the grassroots, where district and city officials oversee government programmes and public funds that directly affect communities.
On Saturday, August 8, 2026, Barugahara defended the interdictions, stressing that those named remain suspects rather than convicted persons.
“The individuals are suspects, not convicted persons, and the investigations should establish the facts while ensuring that due process is fully observed. The fight against corruption and the campaign to protect public resources must continue. Uganda deserves accountable leadership, transparency and quality services for every citizen,” he said.
That distinction will become increasingly important as the number of interdicted officials grows.
The interdictions themselves do not establish that the officials committed corruption. They are intended to create room for investigators to examine the allegations without the accused officials remaining in positions from which they could potentially interfere with evidence or witnesses.
Museveni Happy With Barugahara
Meanwhile, Barugahara’s campaign has received an important political endorsement from President Yoweri Museveni.
On Friday, August 7, 2026, while meeting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus, Museveni praised Barugahara and his junior minister, Justine Nameere, for taking action against corruption at the grassroots.
Addressing newly elected NRM Members of Parliament in Munyonyo, Museveni singled out the two ministers over their efforts to expose alleged graft in local governments.
He also directed fresh investigations into alleged theft of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds and corruption in public recruitment.
“I’m glad some members are doing some work — like Balaam Barugahara and Nameere,” Museveni said.
The President’s endorsement comes as Barugahara’s campaign moves from individual allegations to a much wider examination of how local governments manage public resources.
With Mitooma now added to Isingiro, Buhweju and Mbarara City, the latest interdictions show the campaign expanding across Ankole and into an increasingly broad range of government departments.
For the officials named, the next stage is investigation.
For Barugahara, the growing list represents the most visible phase yet of his campaign to expose alleged corruption in local governments.
And for the government, the challenge will be to ensure that the investigations produce evidence, due process is respected and administrative action is ultimately based on established facts rather than allegations raised at public meetings.
Up to 36 officials have been affected, according to a list compiled by The Pearl Times based on records analysed by the publication’s team.
FULL LIST: 36 officials interdicted or ordered to be interdicted
Isingiro District
- Alice Asimwe Rushure — Chief Administrative Officer
- Emmanuel Bwengye — District Natural Resource Officer
- Innocent Byabagire — Chief Finance Officer
- Mishaki Ayebazibwe — District Engineer
- Patrick Musinguzi — District Commercial Officer
- Bruhan Kasozi — District Veterinary Officer
- Aloysius Gumisiriza — Principal Assistant Secretary
- Frank Kamwine — Senior Procurement Officer
Buhweju District
- Swizen Katambakyi — Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
- Prudence Atukunda — Assistant District Health Officer
- Gastone Bainemigisha — Senior Assistant Secretary
- Flavia Nshemerirwe — Senior Agricultural Engineer
- Charles Twinomugisha — Internal Auditor
- Fred Twebaze — Physical Planner
- Goretti Twinomuhoozi — Senior Education Assistant
- John Byamukama — Assistant Nursing Officer
- Aurella Katushabe — Assistant Nursing Officer
- Lilian Musimenta — Midwife
- Julian Tusasire — Midwife
Mbarara City
- Justine Barekye — Town Clerk
- Allan Karukure — City Commercial Officer
- Mugisha Longino — City Health Officer
- Dunant Mugisha — Principal Treasurer
- Samuel Rwakinanga — Principal Revenue Officer
- Sancho Niwagaba — Principal Revenue Officer
- Edgar Atwiine — Senior Procurement Officer
- Mirabel Kabeigarire — Senior Community Development Officer
- Ben Tumwijukye — Civil Engineer
Mitooma District
- Sadic Byamugisha — District Health Officer
- Barungi Peace Gloria — District Education Officer
- Tumwebaze JohnBaptist — Senior Engineer/Ag. District Engineer
- Tumusiime Geofrey — Civil Engineer Water
- Kagumire Godwin — Senior Environment Officer
- Rugambwa Vicent — Senior Assistant Secretary
- Mugumya Godfrey — Driver Scale U8
- Patrick Oloya — Medical Officer
It should be remembered that Museveni has strengthened Minister Balaam Barugahara’s security as anti-corruption campaign intensifies. (See Details Here).
