The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has arrested three senior officials from Mpigi District over allegations of soliciting bribes during the recruitment of public servants.
The suspects include Martine Ssejjemba, the LCV Chairperson of Mpigi District; Fredrick Kirumira, Chairperson of the District Service Commission; and Sarah Nakamoga, the Commission Secretary. They were apprehended on Friday following investigations into reports of widespread corruption in the district’s recruitment processes.
The arrests stem from a directive issued by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni after receiving complaints during his Parish Development Model (PDM) monitoring tour in the Greater Mpigi area on June 17, 2025. Local journalists reportedly alerted the President to ongoing malpractice in the district’s hiring processes.
It was alleged that recruitment for public positions in Mpigi had been turned into a pay-to-play scheme, with applicants reportedly being asked to pay bribes ranging from UGX 500,000 to UGX 15 million to secure jobs.
In response, the President tasked the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate the matter and take action against those responsible.
In a statement released on Friday, the unit confirmed that the suspects were arrested following the conclusion of preliminary investigations and would be charged accordingly.
“The three suspects will soon be arraigned and charged before Courts of Law as investigations are still ongoing,” the statement read.
The officials were transferred to Kampala pending formal charges.
This case adds to a growing list of corruption incidents involving district service commissions. In 2024, the Chairperson of Rakai District Service Commission, David Mpuuga, was arrested and charged for allegedly accepting a UGX 20 million bribe from a job applicant seeking a position as an Agricultural Officer.
