MBALE, Uganda — Four senior officials of Mbale City have been interdicted over allegations of gross negligence of duty, abuse of office, mismanagement of public resources, and possible financial impropriety following complaints raised by residents over poor service delivery.
The directive was issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Ben Kumumanya, who instructed the Mbale City Town Clerk to immediately interdict the officials to pave the way for investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) and other government agencies.
The officials affected are Principal Civil Engineer Edson Kasaata, Principal Health Officer (Environmental Health) Charles Wandera, Senior Civil Engineer Anthony Wanasolo, and Senior Physical Planner Fred Nambafu.
According to Kumumanya, the decision followed concerns raised during a public baraza convened by Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara in Mbale City on July 18, 2026, where residents accused several officials of failing to deliver essential public services.
“The issues raised in the meeting included gross negligence of duty, abuse of office, mismanagement of public resources and possible financial impropriety, among others, which have greatly compromised services in the district,” Kumumanya said in his directive.
He instructed the Town Clerk to implement the interdictions in accordance with the Public Service Standing Orders, 2021, to allow independent investigations into the allegations.
The interdictions come amid an intensified nationwide anti-corruption campaign targeting public officials accused of mismanaging government resources and undermining service delivery.
The latest action follows Minister Barugahara’s inspection tour of government projects across the Bugisu sub-region, where he vowed to hold accountable officials found responsible for corruption, negligence, and substandard implementation of public projects.
The four officials join Mbale District Water Engineer Eng. Simon Peter Wandera, who was recently detained at Mbale Central Police Station over the alleged mismanagement of the Shs2.2 billion Buyobo–Bubyangu Gravity Flow Water Scheme.
The water project, funded by the Government of Uganda, was intended to provide clean and free piped water to communities in the Elgon region. However, during an inspection, several public water taps connected to the scheme were reportedly found dry despite the substantial investment.
Commenting on the project, Minister Barugahara warned contractors and public officials against delivering substandard government projects.
“All contractors are hereby put on notice to desist from substandard work. Government projects must meet the required standards and deliver real value to Ugandans,” he said.
The crackdown has also spread to neighbouring districts.
Last week, Bulambuli District Engineer Eng. Paul Walimbwa and District Health Officer Dr. Richard Mulongo were arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala on charges including abuse of office, causing financial loss, and neglect of duty.
The two officials were arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, working jointly with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), before being remanded to Luzira Prison until August 3, 2026.
Investigators allege that Walimbwa irregularly approved the procurement of construction materials beyond approved quantities during the construction of the Bulambuli District Administration Block, resulting in a financial loss of more than Shs20 million. He is also under separate investigation over the alleged mismanagement of a Shs1 billion road project, where preliminary findings indicate that contractors allegedly used garden soil instead of the approved gravel and murram.
Meanwhile, Mulongo is accused of irregularly supervising the construction of a pit latrine at Muyembe Health Centre IV, allegedly authorising payments of Shs7 million for works that failed to meet the required standards. The facility has reportedly never been operational since its construction.
According to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the arrests and interdictions form part of an ongoing nationwide campaign aimed at rooting out corruption in local governments and ensuring public resources are used efficiently to improve service delivery.
