Senior lawyer and Jinja East Member of Parliament Paul Mwiru has criticized Minister Balaam Barugahara’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, arguing that while the operations have attracted public attention, they will not solve Uganda’s deep-rooted corruption problems unless the fight reaches the highest levels of power.
Speaking during a political discussion on NBS Frontline, Mwiru said he does not oppose Balaam’s surprise inspections and public confrontations with officials, but questioned whether such actions can address what he described as the “real rot” affecting the country.
“I have no problem with Hon. Balaam’s publicity stunt, but it will not yield anything meaningful if the system that allows corruption to thrive remains unchanged,” Mwiru said.
The lawmaker argued that Uganda’s corruption problem is much bigger than district officials, engineers, and local government workers who are currently being targeted during Balaam’s field visits.
According to Mwiru, the biggest financial losses happen through major government decisions, large contracts, and institutions handling billions of taxpayers’ money, where accountability is often harder to enforce.
He said focusing only on small officials accused of stealing public resources creates the impression that something is being done while leaving the deeper problems untouched.
“Do not get excited because someone has gone to arrest a village official. The real corruption is much bigger than that. The fight must reach where the biggest decisions are made,” Mwiru argued.
His comments come after Balaam Barugahara launched a highly publicized anti-corruption campaign involving surprise visits to government projects, health centres, schools, and local government offices.
During the inspections, Balaam has confronted officials over poor service delivery, questioned suspected misuse of public funds, and called for investigations into individuals accused of failing to serve Ugandans properly.
The campaign has received mixed reactions, with some citizens praising the minister for taking action against officials who have long been accused of frustrating public services.
However, critics like Mwiru say the approach focuses more on public drama than solving the structural weaknesses that allow corruption to continue.
Mwiru pointed to issues such as classified government expenditure, which he said involves huge amounts of public money with limited public scrutiny.
“The classified expenditure is UGX 4 trillion. It has become part of corruption,” he said, arguing that accountability must apply to every institution handling taxpayers’ resources.
The NUP leader further said that anyone entrusted with public money must explain how every coin is spent, regardless of their position or political influence.
He also linked corruption challenges to weak institutions, saying Uganda needs stronger systems that can independently investigate and punish wrongdoing rather than relying on individual personalities.
Despite his criticism, Mwiru acknowledged that Balaam’s approach has created fear among some public servants who now believe they could be exposed if they neglect their duties.
He said the minister has succeeded in sending a message that officials should take their responsibilities seriously, but warned that lasting change requires more than public confrontations.
Balaam’s campaign has continued to generate debate, with supporters saying he has brought urgency into the fight against corruption, while critics argue that the approach may only treat symptoms instead of the disease.
For Mwiru, the real test will be whether the campaign moves beyond lower-level officials and begins addressing corruption allegations involving powerful individuals and major government transactions.
He maintained that Uganda will only defeat corruption when accountability applies equally from the lowest offices to the highest levels of government.
Until then, he warned, fighting only “small thieves” while leaving the bigger players untouched will not end the corruption crisis facing the country.
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