Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi has embarked on a series of interventions targeting local government administration, market management and the accountability of funds intended for vulnerable communities, with his latest engagements drawing attention to a former legislator’s handling of money reportedly donated by President Yoweri Museveni.
Barugahara has recently taken his oversight activities beyond routine administrative matters, issuing directives to local authorities and challenging arrangements that he believes undermine the intended beneficiaries of public facilities and programmes.
In Mbarara City, the minister directed landlords renting out stalls at Mbarara Central Market to vacate the premises, arguing that the facilities should serve low-income earners rather than become properties controlled by landlords.
Barugahara issued the directive during an impromptu inspection of the market, where he questioned the practice of landlords renting out stalls that he said should be reserved for people who depend on such facilities to earn a living.
His intervention reflects the minister’s stated position that market facilities should benefit the traders they are intended to serve, rather than people who acquire control of the spaces and subsequently rent them out.
The minister has also intervened in district recruitment, directing Rwampara District to re-advertise the position of district engineer after raising concerns about the qualifications of the person recruited for the job.
Julius Ssentamu was appointed Rwampara District Engineer on July 1, 2026, despite his engineering licence reportedly having expired. Barugahara questioned the recruitment and directed the district to restart the process, bringing the engineer’s professional eligibility into focus.
However, another intervention by the minister has turned attention to the handling of money intended for a community of young people in Ntungamo Municipality.
On Wednesday, Barugahara telephoned former Ntungamo Municipality Member of Parliament Yona Musinguzi over at least Shs10 million that President Museveni had donated to the ghetto community in the municipality.
The money was channelled through Presidential Advisor Peace Rugambwa and Musinguzi for distribution to the intended beneficiaries. However, the youths allegedly did not receive the funds.
During the telephone conversation, Barugahara directed the former legislator to refund the money within one week.
Musinguzi acknowledged that the people who received the funds had not signed for them, explaining that the transactions took place during the campaign period. He agreed to refund the money within the deadline set by the minister.
The minister also expected Musinguzi to notify the youth radio station so that the money could be distributed to the intended beneficiaries in the presence of the Resident District Commissioner and the district LCV chairman.
As Barugahara pressed him to refund the money, the minister told Musinguzi that the amount in question was relatively small.
That was when the former legislator responded with a revelation about the scale of his spending during the parliamentary campaign in which he lost his seat.
Musinguzi told Barugahara that he had spent approximately Shs2 billion on voters but still failed to secure re-election.
The former MP contested the Ntungamo Municipality seat on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket but lost to independent candidate Gerald Karuhanga.
Official election results show that Karuhanga obtained 3,967 votes, while Musinguzi polled 2,824, giving the independent candidate a winning margin of 1,143 votes.
Musinguzi’s reported Shs2 billion expenditure is his own account of what he spent during the campaign and has not been independently verified.
Campaign financing in Uganda remains an important issue in electoral politics, particularly as candidates compete for parliamentary and local government positions. Campaigns may involve spending on transport, publicity, campaign agents, meetings and mobilisation activities — and vote buying and rigging machinery in some cases. Candidates with extensive networks and access to financial resources may be able to organise activities across larger constituencies, although spending alone does not guarantee electoral success.
There is growing concern on the commercialization of elections, with elective positions appearing to go to those with the ability to inject huge sums in their campaigns.
You can read about the salaries and allowances that Ugandans MPs earn Here.
