Applicants allege they were asked to pay between Shs10 million and Shs50 million for public service positions, with some claiming that recruitment favoured those willing to pay more than their competitors.
A government job in Hoima District allegedly came with a price tag, according to applicants who told Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara that they had been asked to pay millions of shillings to secure positions in the public service.
The allegations, presented during an Expose the Corrupt public accountability rally at Kigorobya Muslim Primary School on October 10, 2026, implicate Hoima District Local Council V Chairperson Uthman Mubarak Mugisha, Senior Human Resource Officer Joel Munyagire, members of the District Service Commission (DSC) and several alleged intermediaries.
Some complainants claimed they lost out on jobs despite making payments, while others alleged that positions were awarded to candidates who offered more money or had connections within the recruitment system.
The accounts presented to Barugahara describe alleged payments ranging from Shs10 million to Shs50 million for positions including finance officer, district commercial officer, assistant town clerk, district health officer and district education officer.
The disputed recruitment exercises reportedly took place between July 2025 and March 6, 2026.
The allegations remain subject to independent verification. Mugisha denied wrongdoing, saying police were investigating the matter.
Applicants recount alleged demands for millions
Among those who addressed the minister was Immaculate Kabacanda, who said she applied for an economist’s position after being referred to Munyagire and Mugisha through Nicholas Kiiza, the workers’ representative for neighbouring Kikuube District.
Kabacanda alleged that she paid Shs15 million but was unsuccessful in her application.
She suspected that another candidate had secured the position by offering more money, although the circumstances surrounding the recruitment decision would need to be established through records and testimony from those involved.
Immaculate Kunihira, an assistant accountant who applied for a finance officer position, gave a different account, alleging that Mugisha demanded Shs10 million from her.
She said the money was paid through Hillary Tumusiime, the Hoima District councillor representing Kyabigambire Sub-county.
According to Kunihira, the position was initially awarded to the wife of a senior human resource officer. She said she eventually secured the job after reporting the matter to Hoima Central Police Station and petitioning higher authorities.
The complainants further alleged that Mugisha refunded the Shs10 million to Kunihira on October 2, 2026, and subsequently pressured her to withdraw her complaint.
The circumstances of the alleged payment and refund, as well as the claim of pressure to withdraw the complaint, require independent confirmation.
Seven years in acting capacity, but alleged payment stood in the way
John Tumusiime, who said he had served as acting district commercial officer for seven years, told the meeting that he was asked to pay Shs10 million to secure the substantive position.
He alleged that he could not raise the money and that the job was subsequently awarded to Milly Okot.
Following complaints, the appointment was reportedly withheld, leaving the position vacant.
Fred Wandera, the acting sub-county chief of Buraru, also alleged that he was asked to pay Shs10 million after applying for an assistant town clerk position.
Wandera claimed the position went to Clare Karungi, whom he identified as the daughter of the DSC secretary.
The allegations raise questions about the criteria used to evaluate candidates, the documentation supporting appointment decisions and whether the recruitment process complied with applicable public service procedures.
However, the accounts presented at the rally do not, on their own, establish that the candidates who were appointed lacked the required qualifications or that payments determined the outcome of the recruitment exercises.
District health, education positions also mentioned
Other applicants named during the meeting included District Planner Lydia Asiimwe, Collins Monday, Henry Balinda, Nicholas Magambo Kwikiriza and Sam Ayebale.
Kwikiriza, a medical professional, was allegedly asked to pay Shs50 million for the district health officer position.
He reportedly left Hoima and took up a similar job in Masindi District.
Ayebale, meanwhile, alleged that he was asked to pay Shs27 million for the district education officer position.
He claimed the position was eventually awarded to an applicant he considered unqualified. That assertion would need to be assessed against the successful candidate’s qualifications and the official recruitment records.
The amounts cited by the complainants, if substantiated, would make financial records and communications concerning the alleged transactions central to establishing what happened during the recruitment process.
Chairperson accused of using alleged intermediaries
Beyond the individual accounts, complainants alleged that Mugisha operated through intermediaries who collected money from applicants before passing it on to him.
The individuals named in connection with the alleged collection arrangements included Tumusiime, Hellen Mulumba Opio and Kiiza.
According to the allegations presented to Barugahara, the intermediaries received commissions for their role in the transactions.
Mugisha denied the allegations and said police were investigating the matter. The nature and progress of the investigation, including whether any financial transactions have been traced, were not independently established from the information presented at the meeting.
Munyagire, the district’s senior human resource officer, was also implicated in the complaints.
The minister was told that Munyagire had been interdicted from Kikuube District in 2025 over corruption allegations before moving to Hoima.
The circumstances of the earlier interdiction, the status of any related proceedings and Munyagire’s response to the current allegations remain to be established.
Francis Alyesima, a DSC member, was accused of asking Monday for Shs10 million.
The claims place members of the recruitment body under scrutiny, although the individual allegations against each official would need to be examined separately rather than treated as proof of collective wrongdoing.
Dispute over who should serve as DSC secretary
The recruitment complaints also exposed questions about appointments within the District Service Commission itself.
Simon Kiiza, identified during the meeting as the acting DSC secretary, was questioned over his appointment to the role while substantively serving as Kitoba Sub-county chief.
Complainants argued that the secretary’s position should be occupied by an officer with the appropriate human resource qualifications.
They also alleged that Francis Busobozi, the substantive DSC secretary, was removed by former Chief Administrative Officer Emmanuel Ssempala to facilitate the alleged recruitment scheme.
The complainants further claimed that attempts to reinstate Busobozi had been blocked by the current CAO, Sarah Aziz Nakarungi, allegedly following pressure from Mugisha.
These assertions have not been independently verified. Establishing whether the appointments and changes in the commission’s leadership complied with the relevant rules would require examining appointment instruments, administrative correspondence and applicable qualification requirements.
Promotion opportunities also questioned
The complaints extended beyond alleged payments for external recruitment to the treatment of existing district employees.
Complainants alleged that since Hoima District was separated from Hoima City, the district had not advertised internal vacancies to allow eligible employees to compete for promotions.
If substantiated, the claim would raise questions about how advancement opportunities have been managed and whether qualified employees have been given a fair chance to progress in their careers.
The recruitment allegations could be examined through bank statements, mobile money transaction records, recruitment files, appointment letters, DSC minutes, official correspondence and statements from applicants and officials.
Some complainants indicated that they were willing to provide bank evidence to support their accounts.
Such records could help investigators determine whether alleged payments occurred, who received the money and whether any transactions were connected to particular recruitment decisions.
Ultimately, the allegations presented in Kigorobya will need to be tested against documentary evidence and responses from the people named. The central issue is whether the evidence can establish that money influenced public appointments and, if so, identify the individuals responsible.
You can read about other officials arrested for selling government jobs as well as related allegations Here and There.
