Inspections must translate into better service delivery for Omuntu Wa Wansi

COMMENT | NANTEZA SARAH KYOBE |  It may be too early to applaud the Ministers of State for Local Government, Balaam Barugahara and Justine Nameere, for their ongoing campaign to expose corruption and inspect government projects, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Their “Expose the Corrupt in Local Government” campaign, currently underway in Eastern Uganda, comes at a time when many Ugandans have grown frustrated by poor service delivery despite substantial government investment in local development.

For years, complaints about substandard roads, incomplete public projects, and misuse of public funds have become all too common. If these inspections are conducted impartially and followed by decisive action, they could restore public confidence in local government institutions.

The greatest beneficiaries of accountable local governance are ordinary citizens—Omuntu wa Wansi—whose daily lives depend on functioning public services. While corruption is often discussed in abstract terms involving billions of shillings, its effects are painfully real in villages across Uganda.

Every shilling stolen from public projects means a road left impassable, a health center left unfinished, or a classroom that never serves the children it was built for.

Road infrastructure is perhaps the clearest example. National highways often receive attention because they are highly visible, but district and community access roads, which connect villages to those highways, remain neglected. Ironically, these are the roads that farmers, traders, students, and patients use every day. They are the roads through which rural economies survive.

Sadly, many district roads receive attention only during election campaigns, ahead of presidential visits, or when public criticism becomes impossible to ignore. Once the political spotlight fades, maintenance disappears as well, leaving communities to struggle for years until the next election cycle begins.

My village of Muwanga in Kiboga District illustrates this reality. The area is marked by rocky hills, and during the rainy season, runoff washes away the soil, exposing large, sharp stones across the road.

These rocks puncture motorcycle and vehicle tyres, making transportation expensive and unreliable. For many residents, boda bodas are the only practical means of transportation, yet riders constantly incur repair costs that are eventually passed on to passengers through higher fares.

For farmers, the consequences are even greater. Coffee, bananas, maize, and other produce become more expensive to transport to trading centers. Sometimes, the cost of transport consumes a large share of the expected profit.

Perishable goods may spoil before reaching the market, while buyers increasingly avoid areas with poor road access. The result is reduced household income and slower rural economic growth.

Poor roads are also a public health concern. Delays in transporting expectant mothers, accident victims, and critically ill patients can be the difference between life and death. Children walk long distances to school on muddy, dangerous roads, while teachers and health workers often struggle to reach their duty stations.

This is why the local government ministers’ inspections matter. They represent more than routine supervision—they signal that the government is paying attention to if public resources are actually improving people’s lives.

However, inspections alone cannot solve the problem. The real test lies in what follows. Officials found to have mismanaged public funds must be held accountable regardless of their political connections. Contractors who deliver shoddy work should face penalties and be barred from future government projects.

Accountability must move beyond speeches and be made visible through prosecutions, recovered funds, and improved public services.

Local leaders also need to remember that infrastructure is not just about roads and bridges. It is about economic opportunity, access to education and healthcare, and the dignity of citizens.

A well-maintained district road may not make headlines, but it enables a farmer to reach the market, a child to reach school, and a patient to reach a hospital on time. That is the true meaning of service delivery.

President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly emphasized wealth creation and socioeconomic transformation. These objectives cannot be achieved if local governments remain weak links in implementation.

Ugandans do not simply want more inspection tours; they want roads that remain passable year-round, functioning health centers, schools that serve learners, and local governments that account for every public shilling.

The ministers deserve credit for taking the first step. The challenge now is to ensure that these inspections mark the start of lasting reforms rather than another well-publicized exercise that fades with time.

For millions of ordinary Ugandans, real success will not be measured by the number of districts visited but by whether life becomes easier in the communities they call home.