NAMAYINGO – Hon. Balaam Barugahara has today held an anti-corruption meeting at Namayingo District Hall, where district leaders, MPs and residents laid bare a catalogue of service delivery failures, ghost projects, and alleged extortion.
The meeting was chaired by the LCV Chairperson Hon. Ronald Sanya. He noted that Namayingo, created in 2010 and bordered by Kenya and Tanzania, survives mainly on fishing from its islands. The district sits on 10 acres of titled land and has 84 government-aided schools.
Health Crisis: One HC IV, 41% Staffing
Leaders told Hon. Balaam the district has only one Health Centre IV, with no serious maternity ward. Mothers who undergo C-sections are forced to sleep on the floor the next day to create space for others. They demanded a General Hospital.
Health staffing stands at only 41%, and the single ambulance cannot serve the two constituencies. Leaders requested more funding for recruitment and ambulances.
Education: Understaffing, Inflated Numbers
Under primary education, many subjects have no government teachers. There is no technical institute for youth skills, though the Embassy of Iceland has supported two primary schools.
In Siguru Sub-county, Siguru Seed Secondary School was singled out. The school was allegedly turned into a one-man school by Mr. Ouma George Ebutu, who blocked district education officials from accessing it. While 233 students were physically present, the number on the portal was inflated to 408. The headmaster was handcuffed for inflating student numbers by the state house anti corruption officers.
At Buhemba High School, parents pay 45,000/= PTA per term, but last term paid 100,000/= plus 80,000/= for remedials and 20,000/= for a ream of papers. The school is understaffed in History and Geography, and enrollment dropped from 810 last term to 600-700 this term.
A retired teacher, Mr. Onyango who retired in 2022, has never been paid to date.
Water, Land and Roads
On water, the district has 22 protected springs and harvesting tanks, but boreholes are breaking down with no money for maintenance. The 5B groundwater project was reported as not helping residents.
On land, 43 acres of Rorwe land is under the Ministry of Tourism title, leaving the sub-county helpless, while Bumeru Estate occupies half of a sub-county.
Residents complained of incomplete roads, notably Isilca to Busia road where Namayingo’s small section was never done. The UNRA Namayingo road is supposed to be tarmacked. State Minister for Transport, Maganda Julius Wandera, promised that Namayingo Town Council tarmac road assessment is ongoing.
The MP for the islands called for affirmative action, saying 21 islands are under Siguru but receive few services, and proposed Siguru Islands become a district.
Corruption Allegations
Serious corruption claims emerged during today’s meeting:
- Emyooga SACCO leaders reported the former RDC was soliciting money.
- Most contractors doing work in Namayingo are district staff. The District Engineer allegedly owns a company given contracts for district roads.
- MPs demanded BOQs always be exposed to district councillors for accountability.
- The Buttemba Sub-county Admin Block, built in 2010, remains incomplete with cracks due to insufficient cement. Hon. Balaam was told the District Engineer should be held answerable.
