Minister Nameere Orders Arrest of Masaka Town Clerk Over Shs14b Project

Police in Masaka City have taken Town Clerk Uthman Ssebaduka into custody following an impromptu inspection of a controversial Shs14 billion administrative headquarters construction site. The intervention was led by the State Minister for Local Government, Ms Justine Nameere, who also serves as the Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament.

The arrest followed allegations that the newly posted town clerk defied an official directive issued by the Ministry of Local Government’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Ben Kumumanya, instructing local authorities to immediately suspend all civil works at the Kitabiro–Kizungu site. When Minister Nameere visited the location and found ongoing construction, she summoned Mr Ssebaduka for clarification. His defense that he was unaware of any stop-work order prompted the minister to order his detention.

Speaking to the press, Ms Nameere stated that ministry investigations corroborated whistleblower reports indicating that the contracted firm, Hanan Construction Company Limited, lacks the financial and technical capacity to execute the large-scale project. She emphasized that the government must protect taxpayers’ money and deal firmly with public officials exhibiting administrative insubordination.

The minister further revealed that the government is preparing a Cabinet proposal to shift future local government infrastructure developments to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Engineering Brigade. This potential policy shift aims to combat rampant procurement corruption, capacity gaps, and stalled projects associated with private contractors.

The Shs14 billion project was initiated to address decades of lacking a dedicated municipal council hall, a challenge that began after the original structure was destroyed during the 1979 liberation war. While investigations continue, Mr Ssebaduka remains detained at Masaka Central Police Station.

For more details on this development, read the full report on Daily Monitor.