A fresh anti-corruption drive has placed Mbarara City’s top administrative officials under the spotlight following reports that Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara has ordered the interdiction of Town Clerk Justine Barekye, Deputy Town Clerk Simon Ejua and other senior officials over allegations of financial mismanagement.
According to information circulating from the ongoing government accountability campaign, the affected officials have been instructed to step aside as investigations into the alleged misuse of public funds get underway.
The reported directive is intended to allow investigators to conduct inquiries without interference while establishing whether any public resources were mismanaged.
The development comes amid an intensified nationwide inspection exercise by the Ministry of Local Government, during which Minister Balaam has been visiting districts and cities to assess service delivery, government projects and financial accountability. In recent weeks, the exercise has led to the interdiction and arrest of several local government officials in different parts of the country over alleged corruption, abuse of office and financial impropriety.
Mbarara City has in recent months also experienced growing disputes over financial management, including disagreements over property tax revenues and council finances, placing the city’s administration under increasing public scrutiny.
By the time of publication, detailed official documentation regarding the reported interdiction of the Mbarara City officials had not yet been publicly released, and the individuals named had not publicly responded to the allegations.
The investigations are expected to determine whether any criminal or disciplinary action will follow once the inquiry is concluded.