Kamuli District has hosted a community Baraza aimed at fostering dialogue and collaboration between citizens and the local government on public service delivery. The event, held at the Kamuli District Headquarters, brought together stakeholders from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Kamuli Local Government, Twaweza, and AEGY. The two non-profit organisations have partnered with the district to support development initiatives and strengthen service delivery.
The Baraza sought to present citizens with updated information on the status of key public services, while offering them a formal platform to voice concerns, give feedback, and suggest ways to improve service delivery and accessibility. It also aimed to enhance citizen involvement in governance, thereby strengthening government responsiveness and accountability.
The initiative is well aligned with Twaweza’s mission of enabling citizen agency and promoting accountable governance. By creating a direct and accessible channel for communication, the Baraza demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to transforming citizen voices into meaningful improvements in public service delivery.
The Baraza has proven to be an important grassroots platform for community engagement and participatory governance. It allows government officials to listen to citizens and respond to issues with transparency, ultimately building trust and promoting collaboration.
Mr. Otuuku Nathan, who led the delegation from the Office of the Prime Minister, said Kamuli District may require a special investigation team to assess the performance of each department. “We shall send a special team to investigate the accounts of each department for misallocation of government funds,” Nathan said. He also expressed gratitude to the Government of Uganda for continuously funding the Ministry of Local Government.
Kamuli District Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Mukibi Nassar, acknowledged a gap in sensitizing and supervising technical staff in the execution of their duties. Among the departments facing criticism are the Works Department, led by District Engineer Mr. Mufumba Daniel, and the District Education Office headed by Mr. Waibi James.
District Chairperson Ms. Sarah Sambya called on AEGY and Twaweza to organise Barazas twice a year. She explained that regular engagements would help identify challenges early, rather than addressing them after funds have already been misused. “We ask our partners to organise it twice a year to help us identify corrupt officials,” she said.
Ms. Alinda Lilian, the National Coordinator of Twaweza Uganda, noted that the Eastern Region remains one of the most affected by corruption among technical staff. She urged the government to pay closer attention to the region and conduct regular induction sessions to guide civil servants in proper ethical conduct.
