A major anti-corruption operation this afternoon has led to the arrest of several senior officials from Mitooma District over allegations of selling government jobs and extorting money from applicants during ongoing Local Government recruitment exercises.
The joint operation, conducted by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with the Uganda Police, targeted officials accused of manipulating recruitment processes for personal gain.
The arrested include: Nakityo Joanita, Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Mugisha Sadic, District Health Officer, Tugume Sam Karakuza, Chairperson of the District Service Commission, Nabimanya Richard, Senior Education Officer and other suspects, including Owarimpa Esther, Parish Chief and LC3 Councillor of Kashenshero Sub-county, remain on the run.
Investigations reveal that Nakityo Joanita repeatedly interfered with the Service Commission’s mandate, taking over responsibilities such as scheduling interviews and selecting technical advisors. She allegedly influenced candidate scoring through Tugume Sam Karakuza, who is accused of extorting between UGX 7 million and UGX 25 million from 23 candidates in exchange for job promises.
Mugisha Sadic reportedly engaged in influence peddling, ensuring favored candidates scored highly two allegedly received 48 out of 50 marks. He is also accused of leaking interview questions and answers to select applicants.
Meanwhile, Nabimanya Richard is alleged to have contacted the Commission Chairperson to secure favorable assessments for certain education officers.
Dr.Sadic, the District Health officer defended himself by saying the case is fabricated by politicians who after failing to secure positions for their incompetent relatives, now seek to discredit him. Similarly, Nabimanya dismissed the accusations and remains unfazed since some politicians had started fighting him even before he assumed office.
Authorities say investigations are still underway, with corruption charges expected to be filed in the coming days. The crackdown underscores government efforts to protect integrity in public service recruitment.
The Anti-Corruption Unit has urged citizens to report any cases of extortion or irregularities during recruitment processes, emphasizing that government jobs are not for sale.
