BUHWEJU DISTRICT – Serious allegations of corruption and malpractice within Buhweju District’s health and recruitment systems have emerged after a nursing officer accused district officials of directing health workers to inflate patient records and questioned the integrity of recent staff recruitment. The revelations prompted the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, to order investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit into the District Service Commission.
The allegations were raised by Mr. Venerato, a Nursing Officer in Buhweju District, during a stakeholders’ engagement convened by the Minister of Local Government to assess the implementation of government programmes and strengthen accountability in the district.
Addressing the meeting, Mr. Venerato alleged that health workers had been pressured to include “ghost patients” in health facility registers, a practice he said compromises the integrity of health records and could facilitate misuse of public resources. He further claimed that the District Health Officer (DHO) had issued unofficial staff transfers outside the established administrative procedures, creating uncertainty and affecting the smooth delivery of healthcare services.
The nursing officer also raised concerns over the recruitment of what he described as unqualified or unsuitable personnel into the district public service. He questioned the transparency and credibility of the recruitment process, arguing that the quality of service delivery was being undermined by irregular hiring practices.
Responding to the complaints, Hon. Balaam described the allegations as serious and directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to immediately investigate the operations of the Buhweju District Service Commission and establish the facts surrounding the recruitment process and the other claims raised.
The Minister further directed that the recently recruited staff be stood down pending the outcome of the investigations. He emphasized that government would not tolerate any recruitment process tainted by corruption, favouritism, or abuse of office.
Hon. Balaam also instructed the relevant authorities to organize a fresh and transparent recruitment process through a formal public advertisement should the investigations confirm irregularities. He stressed that all government jobs must be filled through open, competitive, and merit-based procedures that give qualified Ugandans equal opportunities.