Bugiri – The Minister of Local Government, Hon. Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, uncovered glaring service delivery gaps in Bugiri District during a field engagement on Friday 25th, ranging from unaccounted-for school construction funds, exorbitant school charges, a filthy hospital, to a multi-million government maize mill left to rot.
The minister’s tour covered five key sites, and left district leaders under pressure to explain.
- Nabukalu Secondary School: UGX 108M With No Building
At Nabukalu Secondary School, the Minister found no visible construction works despite an allocation of about UGX 108 million meant for buildings and fencing.
He also flagged the UGX 110,000 being charged to students as an issue for review.
- Khabasala Primary School: P.7 Pupils Charged UGX 150,000
At Khabasala Primary School, the minister queried the school’s fee structure:
P.1 – P.2: UGX 14,000
P.3: UGX 17,000
P.5 – P.6: UGX 22,000
P.7: UGX 150,000
Hon. Balaam directed that the P.7 charge be reduced to UGX 110,000 to ease the burden on parents.
- Bukooli College: 2,300 Students, UGX 130M Gov’t Support, But UGX 500,000 Fees
At Bukooli College Bugiri, which has about 2,300 learners and receives about UGX 130 million in government support, the Minister raised concern over high fees – UGX 250,000 for day students and UGX 500,000 for boarding students.
He directed the school to prepare a new fees circular, proposing UGX 110,000 for day scholars, with boarding charges handled separately. Learners who opt to eat at school would pay an additional UGX 75,000 per term.
The Minister said he would brief H.E. the President and seek to extend the same directive to other schools.
- Bugiri Main Hospital: Sold Drugs, Full Toilets, Broken Doors
The most disturbing findings were at Bugiri Main Hospital, which receives about UGX 750 million annually.
The Minister found:
- Allegations of sale of government medicines and Mama Kits
- Toilets that were full, dirty and unhygienic
- A high number of patients not receiving services at the time of visit
- Broken doors and poor infrastructure
- Persistent power blackouts
He ordered immediate cleaning of the toilets and general cleanliness by 4:00 p.m. that same day. It was later confirmed that medicines were available in store.
To address power challenges, he proposed solar as a backup. He described the hospital’s condition as “concerning” and tasked the RDC and district leadership to intensify monitoring, adding that he will engage line ministers for corrective action.
- Butyabule Maize Mill: Abandoned Since 2022
In Nabukalu Sub-county, the Minister visited the Butyabule Maize Mill, an Agro-Processing Facility built under the Community Agriculture Infrastructure Improvement Project (CAIIP).
The facility was found totally abandoned and non-functional. According to Mr. Kasoro Godfrey, operations stopped in 2022 after the engine was removed.
Hon. Balaam said the state of the mill raises serious questions about the sustainability of government-funded agro-processing infrastructure and called for an investigation into how the engine disappeared and why the facility has remained idle for three years.
