By George Bukenya
While Minister for Local Government Balaam Barugahare with his assistant are traversing the country with an aim of checking on how government services are delivery for better accountability, many Uganda including high ranking government officials and professional bodies and politicians have strongly criticized the manner in which he is handling the exercise.
Among the critics is the Uganda National Association of Teachers’ Union (UNATU) Secretary General Filbert Baguma who said the minister is miss using his power to humiliate head teachers something he says will cause them to abandon their duties.
Baguma made the criticism while attending the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Quality Education (UPF-QE) at Fairway Hotel in Kampala on 24th September, 2026.
“ The manner in which Hon. Balaam is handling the issue of curbing down corruption tendencies in schools is wrong because he humiliates head teachers amidst their learners. One wonders how such a head of school will again stand in front of his/her teachers and learners to give directive if he/ she has been exonerated,’’ Baguma said.
“ The law is very clear as stated in the 1995 constitution, a person is presumed innocent until he /she is proven guilty but Minister Balaam behaves as he is the police CID, state prosecutor and the judge,’’ he explained.
He further criticized Resident District and City Commissioners (RDCs and RCCs) whom he said are demobilizing for the ruling party instead of working towards mobilizing by ensuring good service delivery. He said RDCs and RCCS are showing a lot of power which they are also abusing when they arrest head teachers in a brutal manner.
The Member of Parliament for Nansana Municipality Zambali Bulasia Mukasa also criticized the minister for using the crude method of fighting corruption in the country describing this as show biz.
“ Its like we Uganda doesn’t have the minister of Education and Sports, this because a lot of false activities are happening in schools but he has not come out to raise his voice in the event of humiliating teacher,’’ Zambali said.
“ The Education Act is clear, it spells out voluntary contribution by parents towards the welfare of their children at School and on such the Parents Teachers Association can decide on what contribution the parents or guardians can contribute,’’ he explained.
He further stated that teachers will run away from schools due to humiliation and this will further worsen the gap in the ratio for teacher to learners.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) head of mobilization Dr. Rosemary Seninde Nsubuga said politicizing every government activity is leading to contradictions and this to her explains the ambiguity in implementation of programmes.
She also retaliated Hon. Zambali’s stance on applying the Education Act properly such that the educational institutions’ implementers render the necessary service to the learners properly.