Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara has expressed frustration over the challenges facing Uganda’s fight against corruption, saying some suspects arrested over corruption allegations quickly secure strong legal representation and are released on bail before spending significant time in custody.

Barugahara said that although government continues to arrest individuals accused of mismanaging public resources, the impact of such efforts is sometimes reduced when suspects are granted bail shortly after appearing in court.

“The corrupt are smart. They will run and get a good law firm to defend them,” Barugahara said.

The minister made the remarks while appearing before Parliament’s Local Government Committee, where he discussed ongoing efforts to address corruption and improve accountability within local governments.

He told lawmakers that some of the people arrested during anti-corruption operations did not spend even two weeks at Luzira Prison before they were granted bail.

“The people we arrested, I will read for your summary of a few people that we have arrested who have appeared in anti-corruption court. They did not spend two weeks. They have not spent two weeks in Luzira prison. They have been given bail,” he said.

Barugahara acknowledged that bail is part of the judicial process but argued that the quick release of corruption suspects creates challenges in sending a strong message against misuse of public funds.

He said corruption remains a major challenge affecting government programmes because money meant for roads, health services, education and other projects is sometimes lost through poor accountability.

The minister recently raised concerns about a road project in Pakwach District where he claimed Shs900 million meant for a one-kilometre low-cost surface road had almost been spent after only 10 metres of work was completed.

According to Barugahara, the discovery showed serious weaknesses in supervision and monitoring of government projects at local government level.

He questioned why such cases continue to happen despite the existence of several accountability offices responsible for protecting public resources.

The minister said local government officials, including Chief Administrative Officers, Chief Finance Officers and other leaders, must take greater responsibility in ensuring government funds are properly used.

He also criticised the failure to act on repeated corruption reports, saying investigations and recommendations from oversight institutions should lead to concrete action against those responsible.

Barugahara said corruption thrives when individuals believe they can misuse public funds and avoid serious consequences.

He has since intensified inspection visits across several districts, together with State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere, to monitor government projects and expose alleged cases of mismanagement.

The inspections have covered areas including Moyo, Maracha, Mbale, Isingiro, Sembabule, Mitooma, Mbarara City, Fort Portal and Masaka.

Some local government officials have been interdicted following the inspection exercises as investigations continue into alleged accountability failures.

However, some legislators have questioned whether inspection tours by ministers can provide a lasting solution to corruption problems.

Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze argued that stronger district-level accountability systems should be built instead of depending on national leaders to uncover local government failures.

She said institutions such as district public accounts committees and internal auditors should be empowered to detect and stop misuse of funds early.

Despite the criticism, Barugahara has maintained that his approach is aimed at protecting public resources and ensuring government money delivers services to citizens.

He said the fight against corruption requires cooperation between government agencies, local leaders and the public.

Barugahara insisted that stronger action is needed against corruption suspects to restore confidence and ensure that taxpayers’ money is protected.