Government Jobs for Sale Scandal: Government Official Jailed for Over Job Applicants’ Money

As part of an ongoing crackdown regarding the jobs for sale scandal, a local government official has been jailed over job applicants’ money.

The official, a parish chief in Mitooma District, has been remanded over allegations of extorting money from desperate job seekers in a growing “jobs for sale” scandal within local government structures.

The State House Anti-Corruption Unit, working together with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) of the Uganda Police Force, and Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) caused the arrest of Esther Owarimpa of Ruhehe North Parish, Kabira Sub-County, Mitooma District.

Owarimpa was arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court on corruption charges.

According to state prosecutors, between October 2025 and January 2026, Esther Owarimpa allegedly solicited and received millions of shillings from job applicants, falsely claiming she could influence decisions of the District Service Commission (DSC) to secure them employment.

Investigators say the suspect exploited vulnerable applicants seeking public service jobs, promising placements that never materialized.

She has since been remanded until April 27, 2026, as inquiries into the matter continue.

The case adds to a string of similar scandals that have plagued Uganda’s public service recruitment processes. Over the years, several job seekers have reportedly been asked to pay bribes to secure positions in districts and ministries.

These reports indicate that middlemen and some officials exploit high unemployment levels to extort money, undermining merit-based recruitment.

There are systemic weaknesses in oversight and accountability, allowing corrupt practices to persist despite government crackdowns. Anti-corruption agencies have in recent years intensified arrests and prosecutions, but critics have warned that without structural reforms and stricter enforcement within district service commissions, public and education service commissions, the vice of selling jobs may continue to thrive.

Relatedly, a number of Mitooma district officials were arrested weeks ago over jobs on sale scandal, as reported Here.

Allegations of sale of jobs in Uganda have been widespread. There have been claims that the Education Service Commission was selling teaching jobs for as low as Shs2m, while RDC jobs were said to be sold for up to Shs20m. (See Details Here and There).

There have also been cases of forgery, with a senior Museveni minister recently confessing that she forged academic papers for another current minister to be appointed to a government job, as reported Here.