Newly sworn-in State Minister for Local Government, Justine Nameere, has pledged an aggressive crackdown on corruption and inefficiency at the grassroots level, warning that entrenched malpractice in local governments has denied millions of citizens access to essential services.
Speaking after taking the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Minister, Nameere expressed gratitude to President Yoweri Museveni for entrusting her with the role, describing her appointment as both an honour and a responsibility to deliver tangible change.
She signaled a shift toward stricter oversight, saying her tenure would focus on restoring accountability in service delivery structures across the country.
Nameere pointed to widespread corruption as a major barrier to development, linking it directly to poor healthcare, weak education systems, and struggling agricultural markets.
She said these failures have disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, including women, children, and farmers, but insisted that her administration would prioritize reversing the trend.
“Millions of Ugandans are affected because of corruption in local government. It has robbed our mothers of healthcare, our children of quality education, and our farmers of working markets. That ends now,” she stated.
The minister revealed plans to work closely with her senior, State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs Balaam Barugahara, to implement what she described as a “fierce supervisory system.”
The framework will target inefficiencies such as ghost projects and absentee officials, which have long undermined public trust in local administrations.
She emphasized that every public resource allocated to local governments must yield visible impact, warning that misuse of funds would no longer be tolerated.
“Every shilling released must touch the ground and change a life,” Nameere said, underscoring her commitment to results-driven governance.
Addressing citizens directly, particularly those from Greater Masaka, Nameere assured them that her leadership would be anchored in accountability and service.
She highlighted her previous track record in the region, where she confronted land grabbing and exploitation of vulnerable communities, noting that she intends to replicate the same approach nationally.
“Functional service delivery is not a favour — it is your right,” she added, stressing that officials from the lowest local council units to district leadership would be held to account.
Nameere concluded by reaffirming her focus on performance rather than symbolism in office, declaring that her mission is to deliver measurable outcomes for ordinary Ugandans.