Democracy for sale: Corruption, cover-ups, accountability crisis
Security officers beat up NUP supporters during campaigns for the Kawempe North by-election at Kawempe Muslim Primary School on March 3, 2025. PHOTO/MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
- Despite clear evidence of election-related violence, there has been no official explanation of what transpired, and the masked perpetrators remain unidentified.
The last three weeks have provided a clear snapshot of how Uganda continues to struggle with accountability across key sectors.
On March 13, 2025, the country’s Electoral Commission conducted a by-election in Kawempe North following the death of Mohammad Ssegirinya. Elias Nalukoola Luyimba of the National Unity Platform (NUP) emerged winner. While the EC described the process as free and fair, the events leading up to the polls painted a different picture. Journalists, were brutalised, and their equipment damaged.
Despite clear evidence of election-related violence, there has been no official explanation of what transpired, and the masked perpetrators remain unidentified. Meanwhile, the Division Police Commander (DPC) of Wandegeya, who was filmed punching an unarmed civilian, continues to sleep soundly at night.But accountability concerns extend beyond elections and security.
Recently, Ugandan troops were deployed to South Sudan in anticipation of war. According to the law, such a deployment requires parliamentary approval. However, in this case, Parliament had to retroactively approve the mission after troops had already been sent into the conflict zone.
Before the approval, neither the minister of Defence, the Internal Affairs minister, nor Parliament itself could explain the deployment, even as the chief of defence forces (CDF) publicly confirmed their arrival in Juba. This blatant disregard for legal and institutional processes underscores a growing pattern of secrecy and impunity.In the health sector, transparency remains elusive in the long-delayed Lubowa Hospital project.
The minister of Health and the permanent secretary continue to offer conflicting figures regarding the project’s progress, even as another Shs53 billion was recently approved for it. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja assured Parliament that the project was 61.8 percent complete and would be finished by April 2025.
However, earlier statements from Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng put the figure at 35 percent in December 2024, while Health Ministry PS, Dr Diana Atwine, provided yet another estimate, ranging between 40 percent and 50 percent. If even the highest-ranking officials responsible for overseeing the project cannot agree on its status, who can?
The lack of accountability is not limited to just these sectors. Most recently, another scandal has emerged in Uganda’s energy sector. The approval of borrowing of $190 million from Stanbic Bank Uganda for the Umeme Limited buyout before an audit had even been conducted, as revealed in parliamentary session excerpts. While the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) cited a $127 million requirement, the Energy minister quickly requested $190 million—an unexplained $63 million increase.
To date, no clear rationale has been provided for this discrepancy, raising serious concerns about financial mismanagement and corruption in one of the country’s most critical sectors. Even more alarming is the fast-tracked approval of supplementary budgets and the hasty waiving of taxes. The rate at which these financial decisions are made, with little to no public accountability, is nothing short of institutionalised corruption.
These backdoor dealings, disguised as urgent financial measures, are siphoning taxpayer money without oversight, leaving citizens to bear the burden of mismanagement. With security, health, elections, and energy—all vital areas for national development—embroiled in corruption and secrecy, Uganda’s governance crisis is deepening.
When government institutions fail to communicate, they fail at both accountability and transparency. And without these, public trust erodes, leaving the nation vulnerable to further instability.
The events in Kawempe North, where clashes erupted due to the lack of accountability, serve as a warning. If the government continues to ignore these systemic failures, similar crises will become inevitable.
Finally, public officials must be held accountable for both their actions and inactions. Without genuine efforts to address corruption, enforce transparency, and uphold democratic principles, Uganda will remain trapped in a cycle of mismanagement, impunity, and broken promises.
Public officials must be held accountable for both their actions and inactions
Mr Francis Otucu is the Advocacy and Communications Officer,
Citizens’ Concern Africa.
