BUDUDA – There has been drama at the Anti-Corruption Baraza in Bududa District after the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) was forced to refund money she had extorted from a local resident.
The Baraza is organized by the Ministry of Local Government under “Expose the Corrupt” campaign aimed at curbing corruption and improving service delivery in local governments.
During the open community dialogue, residents were given a platform to report cases of corruption, extortion and abuse of office by district officials.
In one of the most emotional testimonies, a young girl accused the RDC of taking money from her after promising to help her join the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
When tasked to respond to the allegation before the crowd, the RDC accepted that she had indeed taken the money.
What followed left the gathering in shock. State House officials who were part of the Baraza immediately escorted the RDC to go and bring the money. She returned with the cash and handed it over openly to the accuser at the Baraza, in full view of residents and officials, thereby accepting the allegations against her.
The RDC and her Assistant RDC, who is also facing similar accusations of extorting money from locals for free government services, were then interdicted with immediate effect to pave way for investigations.
Hon. Balaam said the interdiction is a clear message that government will not tolerate corruption among its own representatives. He reiterated that UPDF recruitment and all other government programmes are free and no citizen should pay any money to any official.
Residents in Bududa welcomed the action, saying extortion has been a major barrier for poor families seeking opportunities in government.
Investigations into other complaints raised at the Baraza are still ongoing.