For decades, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, under the leadership of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has been praised for its resilience, peace-building, and economic development policies. However, amidst these successes, one undeniable reality continues to tarnish the government’s image — poor service delivery. While politicians, from the President down to local village leaders, often face public criticism for these failures, an overlooked yet critical player in this dysfunction is the technical wing of government.
This wing, comprising civil servants and technocrats in central and local government, is mandated to implement policies and deliver essential services. However, a closer examination reveals that this segment of the administration, shielded from electoral accountability, has in many cases become the root cause of the inefficiencies and corruption that hinder effective service delivery.
The Education Sector: A Tale of Two Realities
A glaring example of this disparity is the education sector. It’s baffling how private schools with limited resources often outperform government-funded schools, which are equipped with salaried teachers, adequate infrastructure, textbooks, and even computer labs. Its worthy noting that some of these teachers in private schools are poorly paid, or paid late and at times directors default their payments. According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), results from the 2023 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) indicated that 87% of the top-performing schools were privately owned, while many public schools struggled. The difference? Supervision and accountability.
District Education Officers (DEOs), school inspectors, and commissioners are entrusted with ensuring quality education delivery. Yet, in many cases, they appear to be either complacent or complicit in the system’s decline. Teachers in government schools, though salaried, are frequently absent or demotivated. This raises the question: are these officials merely “milking the cow without feeding it”?
Healthcare: Drugs on Paper, Missing in Practice
In Uganda’s healthcare system, a recurring tragedy is the disappearance of essential drugs from public health facilities. The government consistently allocates funds to stock Health Centers IV, III, and II, yet patients continue to face shortages.
According to a 2022 report by the Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organisation (UNHCO), over 60% of surveyed patients reported being turned away due to a lack of medication. Shockingly, these same drugs often resurface in private clinics owned by medical staff from public hospitals.
Furthermore, the attitude of some medical workers remains questionable. While private clinics offer attentive service, government health workers have been reported to mistreat patients, with some even advising them to “blame your government.” This conduct not only undermines NRM’s efforts but also sows mistrust among citizens. It’s worth noting that these healthcare workers have supervisors — from hospital administrators to district health officers — who, if effective, should ensure proper service delivery.
Roads and Infrastructure: Built to Collapse?
Road construction and maintenance tell a similar story. Feeder roads, essential for linking rural areas to markets and services, are often completed with substandard materials, poor drainage systems, and inadequate culverts. Within months sometimes even weeks they are washed away by the first heavy rains. A 2023 Uganda Road Fund (URF) audit revealed that 45% of newly constructed feeder roads had major defects within a year.
Engineers overseeing these projects are not politicians. They are technical experts, yet the recurrence of shoddy work hints at either incompetence or deliberate sabotage to ensure future budgets are allocated for “repairs.” This cycle of poor workmanship benefits a corrupt few at the expense of the taxpayer, creating a continuous looting chain.
The question remains: are these engineers poorly trained, or is this a calculated strategy?
Public Service Commissions: Jobs for Sale?
The hiring of personnel in local government and else where, often managed by district or city service commissions at the local level, has turned into a commercial enterprise. With high unemployment rates, particularly among the youth, job seekers are allegedly coerced into paying bribes to secure positions. It is reported that some applicants sell family land to afford these illicit payments, only to remain jobless. Kudos to those commissioners who have executed their duties with integrity.
For those who do secure jobs after paying hefty bribes, the focus shifts to recovering their “investment,” leading to a mindset of looting rather than service. This trend exacerbates corruption and poor service delivery, perpetuating a vicious cycle of inefficiency.
The Way Forward: Accountability for the Technical Wing
While politicians are the face of government, the technocrats and civil servants behind the scenes hold the power to make or break service delivery. The technical wing must be subjected to stricter accountability measures. This includes:
Performance audits — Regular and independent evaluations of technical staff, with public reports.
Whistle blower protection — Encouraging honest civil servants and citizens to report misconduct without fear.
Public engagement — Empowering citizens to demand better services from both political and technical leaders.
Stricter penalties — Severe consequences for officials found guilty of corruption, negligence, or incompetence.
President Museveni’s legacy of economic transformation and peace is undeniable. However, for Uganda to realize its full potential, the ignored wound of technical inefficiency must be addressed. NRM government must ensure that the very people entrusted with delivering services uphold the same patriotism and commitment expected of elected leaders.
This is not merely a write-up; it is a whistle-blower’s call to action for all the sectors I have highlighted and even those I haven’t. I am certain that if you are an observant citizen, you have witnessed these atrocities, fallen victim to them, or perhaps even participated in them.
To those in the technical wing, serve Uganda with integrity not for selfish gains after all your paid salary and at your retirement you rewarded with tokens of appreciation.
For God and My Country.
Phillip R. Ongadia- NRM Mobilizer
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