Doreen Nyanjura
Former Kampala deputy lord mayor Doreen Nyanjura has questioned the fate of local government officials arrested during Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs Balaam Barugahara’s anti-corruption tours across Uganda.
Nyanjura said the high-profile operations, which have included on-site arrests in districts such as Mbarara, Mitooma and Pakwach, have attracted significant public attention but raised questions about what happens after the cameras leave.
According to Nyanjura, several officials have been publicly arrested over alleged corruption and administrative misconduct during the minister’s inspections. However, she said there has been limited public information on whether the suspects are subsequently taken to court to face formal charges.
“While the cameras roll during the arrests, we hardly ever see these officials actually arraigned in court. Why the sudden silence?” Nyanjura said.
She alleged that many of those arrested are released on police bond within about 48 hours, arguing that the public is left with the spectacle of arrests without seeing corresponding progress in the justice system.
“I have learnt that once the cameras leave, most officials are released on police bond within 48 hours,” she said.
Nyanjura’s remarks come amid increased government efforts to expose alleged corruption and inefficiency within local governments. Barugahara has in recent months conducted inspection tours in different parts of the country, with some visits resulting in the arrest or interdiction of officials accused of wrongdoing.
The former city leader argued that arrests should not be treated as the conclusion of anti-corruption investigations, insisting that suspects should be subjected to due process if investigators have sufficient evidence to prosecute them.
“The public is fed on high profile arrest drama but very little visible justice,” she said.
Nyanjura said the public was now waiting to see whether the officials arrested during the operations would be formally charged and tried in court.
“We wait to see these officials arraigned in court. We are impatiently awaiting the trial of these corrupt officials,” she added.
Her comments place renewed focus on the gap between high-profile anti-corruption operations and the subsequent prosecution of suspects. Under Uganda’s justice system, being arrested does not amount to a conviction, and suspects are entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court.
The government has yet to respond to Nyanjura’s specific claims concerning the number of officials released on police bond or the status of individual cases arising from the minister’s recent operations.