The Uganda Local Government Workers’ Union has called for a more systematic approach to fighting corruption in local governments, urging Government to strengthen institutions, follow due process and ensure that civil servants are not unfairly humiliated during anti-corruption operations.
In a press statement issued on Monday, September 21, 2026, the union welcomed the renewed national focus on corruption, accountability and service delivery but said the campaign should go beyond targeting individuals after problems have already occurred.
The union said Government should place greater emphasis on due diligence, proper procedures, strong supervision and institutional controls that can prevent corruption before it happens.
According to the Uganda Local Government Workers’ Union, local government workers are responsible for implementing Government programmes, maintaining public records, supporting public financial management and providing essential services to citizens. The union therefore said they should be treated as important partners in strengthening accountability.
The union stressed that firm action should be taken against people proven to have engaged in corruption, but such action should be based on proper investigations, evidence and the law. It said due process and established procedures must be respected throughout investigations and disciplinary processes.
The union also called for restraint in the way civil servants are treated during anti-corruption operations. It said workers should not be subjected to unnecessary humiliation, intimidation or victimisation before investigations have established responsibility.
According to the union, fighting corruption should not create a situation where public servants are publicly treated as guilty before the relevant investigations, disciplinary processes or courts have determined the facts.
The Uganda Local Government Workers’ Union instead wants Government to strengthen the institutions responsible for detecting, investigating and addressing corruption. It called for adequate funding and facilitation of key accountability institutions so that they can effectively perform their constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
The union particularly pointed to institutions and mechanisms such as the Inspectorate of Government, the Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee and the Criminal Investigations Directorate as important parts of the accountability system.
It said stronger funding, staffing, technical capacity and logistical support for such institutions would enable them to carry out thorough investigations, audits, follow-ups and prosecutions where necessary.
The union argued that a strong anti-corruption system should not depend mainly on identifying individual officials after funds have been lost or services have failed. Instead, it should strengthen the systems that detect risks, identify weaknesses and ensure that public resources are properly managed from the beginning.
It also called for Government to follow the entire accountability chain whenever corruption is detected. Investigations, according to the union, should establish who authorised, supervised, verified or certified transactions and whether warning signs were ignored.
The union wants accountability to extend across management and oversight structures while still respecting the rights of individual public servants who may be implicated in an investigation.
The Uganda Local Government Workers’ Union further proposed the establishment of a National Local Government Integrity, Accountability and Service Delivery Framework. The proposed framework would introduce common standards for districts, cities and municipalities and require measurable reporting on integrity, accountability and service delivery.
The union wants every local government to have an Integrity and Accountability Committee bringing together technical management, internal audit, relevant political leadership and workers’ representatives.
Such committees would identify corruption risks, monitor audit recommendations, review procurement and financial-control weaknesses and follow up complaints about service delivery.
The union also wants District Service Commissions to be strengthened, particularly in areas of merit-based recruitment, transparency of appointments, conflict-of-interest controls, proper record keeping and accountability for recruitment decisions.
On staff transfers, the union said Government should establish clear national guidelines if rotation is to be used as an anti-corruption measure. It said the rules should provide objective criteria and safeguards against arbitrary transfers, victimisation and political interference.
Another area of concern is the protection of whistleblowers and public servants who refuse to participate in unlawful activities. The union called for confidential reporting mechanisms and protection against retaliation, intimidation and victimisation.
The union also said accountability measures must be accompanied by adequate resources for local governments. It noted that local government workers are implementing programmes such as the Parish Development Model, SAGE, Emyooga and UWEP alongside their statutory responsibilities.
It therefore called for Government to address staffing gaps, excessive workloads, inadequate facilitation and poor terms and conditions of service.
The union said its proposed reforms should be built around five pillars: integrity, accountability, protection, performance and partnership. These would promote transparent recruitment, stronger financial controls, protection of ethical workers, measurable service-delivery targets and participation of workers’ representatives in accountability reforms.
The Uganda Local Government Workers’ Union has called on the Ministry of Local Government to convene a national consultative meeting within 60 days involving local government leaders, accountability institutions and recognised workers’ representatives.
The meeting, according to the union, should develop the proposed framework, which would then be piloted in selected local governments before being reviewed after 12 months and progressively rolled out across the country.
The union said the fight against corruption should ultimately lead to stronger institutions, better procedures, responsible leadership and improved public services.
It maintained that Uganda can strengthen accountability without undermining the dignity of civil servants, stressing the importance of due diligence, evidence, proper procedures and adequately funded accountability institutions in the fight against corruption.
