Kabale District Loses Shs3 Billion to Ghost Workers, Says Minister Balaam

Kabale District has reportedly lost Shs3 billion through fraudulent payments made to ghost workers on the government payroll. Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi made the revelation during an anti-corruption meeting at the district headquarters.

Addressing district leaders, employees, and residents, Balaam accused local officials of sleeping on the job and allowing individuals who do not work for the district to continuously draw government salaries. He specifically pointed fingers at the Principal Human Resource Officer, former Chief Administrative Officer John Asiimwe, and former district chairperson Nelson Nshangabasheija for allegedly presiding over the misappropriation of public funds, which he noted has severely crippled service delivery in key sectors like water, health, and agriculture.

During the sweeping crackdown, district engineer Januario Bagamuhunda was arrested and placed in police custody. The minister also directed that other implicated staff members who skipped work be immediately interdicted pending thorough investigations.

Earlier in the day, Balaam toured the Kabale Central Market where vendors and traders voiced deep concerns regarding stall management. He discovered that unauthorized individuals were posing as landlords to collect rent from genuine operators, while others illegally controlled multiple stalls. The minister ordered that operating traders must retain full control of their businesses without paying rent to unlawful claimants. He further inspected the Kabale Taxi Park following complaints from mechanics about poor working conditions, giving municipal authorities a one-week ultimatum to resolve the issues.

The high-profile tour is part of a broader government campaign to weed out corruption and improve public resource management across the Kigezi sub-region. Read more about this story on Nile Post.