Balaam to hold public baraza in Mbarara to assess government programs, fight corruption

Minister of Local Government Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi is set to visit Mbarara City next Tuesday to assess the impact of Government programs and address concerns over service delivery and corruption.

Balaam said the visit will focus on ensuring that public resources are used for the benefit of citizens, promising to expose cases of corruption where necessary.

The Minister, who has a personal connection to Mbarara, revealed that he was born at Mbarara Hospital on July 28, 1979, during a difficult period for his family.

He recounted that his mother, Brown Abwooli Nante Byenkya, was heavily pregnant when she and his late father, Akiiki Davidson Balaam Byenkya, travelled from Karamoja to Mbarara after his father was arrested by the then government.

According to Balaam, his father, a Civil Engineering graduate of the University of Dar es Salaam, had been working on British Aid-funded water dam and road projects in Karamoja before being accused of supporting then little-known Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who was organising the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) ahead of the 1980 general elections.

He said the family was taken to Makenke Barracks, and the hardships endured during that period inspired the name “Barugahare,” reflecting the difficult circumstances surrounding his birth.

“Those experiences gave me a lifelong attachment to both Mbarara and Karamoja and continue to inspire my commitment to justice, accountability and selfless service to our people,” Balaam said.

The Minister has invited residents of Mbarara City to attend a public Baraza at Mayor’s Park on Tuesday starting at 4:00pm, where they will raise concerns about service delivery, report corruption cases and discuss ways of improving governance.

The engagement is part of Balaam’s efforts to promote accountability and strengthen public participation in monitoring Government programs.