Four people have been arrested following an inspection tour of government projects and public service-delivery facilities in Masaka City conducted by the Minister of Local Government, Balam Barugahara Atenyi, and the State Minister for Local Government, Justine Nameere.
The ministers toured health facilities, schools and government-funded construction sites to assess the implementation of public programmes and the quality of service delivery. The inspection exposed a series of alleged cases of misconduct, poor supervision and abuse of office, prompting arrests and directives for further investigations.
At Tarbuk Secondary School in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, Minister Barugahara ordered the arrest of History teacher Allan Katongole and the school’s security guard, Tonny Kisakye, after students accused them of routinely administering corporal punishment.
Students told the ministers that the two regularly beat them with sticks for reporting late to school and for poor academic performance.
The minister also directed the school’s head teacher, Nuhu Mpagi, to record a statement with police over allegations that he tolerated the abuse of learners, sanctioned the collection of unauthorised fees, failed to address teacher absenteeism and presided over poor management of the school.
Barugahara further expressed concern over overcrowding in the boarding section, where students reportedly share beds, as well as the poor sanitation conditions marked by filthy latrines and bathrooms. He warned that the situation posed serious health and safety risks to learners.
At Kasana Health Centre IV in Nyendo Township, the minister recommended the immediate interdiction of the Masaka City Health Officer, Dr Patrick Kasendwa, accusing him of failing to effectively supervise health service delivery.
The inspection established that only four of the facility’s 11 staff members were on duty despite attendance records indicating that all had reported for work. Patients were instead being attended to by intern doctors and unpaid volunteers, raising concerns about the quality and safety of healthcare services.
Patients also complained to the ministers about persistent absenteeism among health workers, saying the practice had become common and continued to affect access to medical care.
During the same inspection, police arrested Godfrey Ntale, the NRM flag bearer for the Misaali Cell chairperson seat, over allegations of extorting money from beneficiaries of the Emyooga and Parish Development Model (PDM) programmes.
One of the complainants, Elvis Ntumwa, told the ministers that Ntale allegedly obtained UGX 1 million from him after promising to secure UGX 3 million in Emyooga funding, which was never delivered.
Ntumwa further alleged that nearly 30 residents were similarly defrauded before Ntale disappeared, only to resurface during the ongoing Local Council election campaigns.
The suspects were handed over to Nyendo-Mukungwe Division Police for further investigations and possible prosecution.
Meanwhile, the ministers also questioned the Masaka City Resident City Commissioner, Ahamada Washaki, over what they described as inadequate supervision of government programmes and projects, which they said had contributed to widespread irregularities in public service delivery across the city.
In addition, three senior Masaka City Council officials—City Engineer John Baptist Muzibira, Education Officer Steven Kakeeto and Inspector of Schools Moses Kawuma—were directed to record statements with police over alleged accountability failures and negligence in the execution of their duties.
The inspection forms part of the Ministry of Local Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability, improve service delivery and ensure the effective implementation of government programmes across local governments
