By Brian Mugenyi
mugenyijj@gmail.com
KAMPALA, UGANDA — The Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of Uganda Social Media Influencers (FUSMI), Mr. Edison Kirabira, has called for strict accountability and transparency in the management of public funds, urging local government officials to eliminate corruption in service delivery systems.
Mr. Kirabira made the remarks following a meeting with the Permanent Secretary for Local Government, Mr. Ben Kumumanya, where they discussed challenges affecting service delivery, including corruption in recruitment processes and misuse of public resources at district and parish levels.
He emphasized that corruption remains one of the biggest threats to effective service delivery in Uganda and must be addressed collectively by government, civil society, and citizens.
“Corruption is a vice that must be eliminated. It continues to destroy service delivery and erode public trust,” Kirabira said.
A record budget under scrutiny
The call for accountability comes at a time when Uganda is implementing a Shs72.3 trillion national budget for the 2025/2026 Financial Year, presented by Finance Minister Mr. Matia Kasaija at Kololo Independence Grounds.
The budget, the largest in Uganda’s history, is designed to accelerate development under Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan, with funding allocated to infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, and industrialisation.
Government officials, including Mr. Kumumanya, have repeatedly emphasized that effective development depends on strong institutions and transparency in public resource management.
“The focus is not only on infrastructure,” Mr. Kumumanya has previously stated. “It is about ensuring systems work for the people.”
Citizens demand accountability
While the budget has been widely welcomed as a major step toward economic transformation, concerns remain about whether funds will effectively reach intended beneficiaries.
Ugandans continue to expect improvements in healthcare, education, roads, and job creation for the country’s estimated 45 million citizens.
However, questions persist over efficiency, transparency, and value for money in public expenditure.
Kirabira noted that the real measure of success is not the size of the budget, but its impact on citizens’ lives.
Corruption: the silent drain
Despite existing legal frameworks, corruption remains a persistent challenge in Uganda’s public sector. It often manifests through inflated contracts, ghost projects, procurement manipulation, and diversion of funds.
Experts warn that such practices reduce the effectiveness of government spending and undermine trust in public institutions.
Commonly affected sectors include education, where some infrastructure projects remain incomplete; health facilities facing shortages of essential medicines; and road projects that stall despite funding.
The impact is felt most by ordinary citizens — patients without medicine, children studying in poor conditions, farmers unable to access markets, and youth struggling to find employment.
Legal framework
Uganda’s anti-corruption framework, anchored in the Constitution and the Anti-Corruption Act, criminalises offences such as embezzlement, abuse of office, bribery, fraudulent procurement, false accounting, and diversion of public funds.
Penalties include imprisonment, dismissal from public office, confiscation of assets, and recovery of stolen funds.
The law reinforces a clear principle: public office is a public trust, not a private enterprise.
Call for stronger local accountability
Local governments play a central role in service delivery, managing funds for education, health, infrastructure, and community development.
However, they remain highly vulnerable to corruption due to weak oversight and administrative gaps.
Kirabira stressed that accountability must begin at the grassroots level.
“Every shilling released must reach the ground and change lives,” he said.
Conclusion
As Uganda implements its Shs72.3 trillion budget, the country faces a critical test: whether public resources will translate into real improvements in citizens’ lives.
While government continues to defend the budget as a driver of transformation, analysts caution that success will depend on transparency, accountability, and effective oversight.
Ultimately, development will not be measured by the size of the budget, but by how faithfully it serves the people it was meant for.
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