By Our Reporter
Fort Portal City authorities have intensified the fight against corruption following the arrest of the City Senior Finance Officer, Mr Karamagi Simon, over allegations of financial mismanagement and failure to remit local revenue to city divisions.
The arrest comes after Mr Karamagi allegedly ignored several police summons requiring him to record statements regarding accountability concerns that have reportedly affected service delivery across the city divisions.
Local leaders, working closely with the office of the Resident City Commissioner (RCC), say the crackdown is part of a wider campaign to eliminate what they describe as “decentralised corruption” within local governments. The renewed effort follows President Yoweri Museveni’s recent declaration of zero tolerance for corruption during his swearing-in ceremony.
Investigations are currently centered on accountability queries involving approximately Shs5.3 billion. Authorities are examining claims of non-remittance of over Shs4 billion in mandatory local revenue allocations to divisions, alleged misuse of road maintenance funds, and concerns surrounding Shs1.3 billion intended for projects including the Mayor’s Garden, Kitere Waste Management Plant, and Tomber Market in Harubaho.
The scrutiny against Mr Karamagi is not new. In 2019, leaders of the then Fort Portal Municipality reportedly petitioned for disciplinary action against him, accusing him of absenteeism, delayed salary remittances, and poor revenue management that disrupted municipal operations.
Speaking during his swearing-in ceremony as Mayor of North Division on May 19, 2026, Mr Mashuhuko criticized the continued collection of taxes without corresponding services reaching residents. He argued that divisions have been denied their rightful revenue shares despite clear legal provisions governing local revenue remittances.
Mr Mashuhuko also called on Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to expand Operation “Maliza Ufisadi” to local governments, saying corruption at lower administrative levels continues to undermine public trust and development.
Earlier this year, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner (DRCC) for Central Division told journalists that all alleged corruption cases had already been forwarded to relevant authorities, including the State House Anti-Corruption Unit. He expressed optimism that the ongoing anti-corruption campaign would gain momentum under the government’s renewed commitment to fight graft during the “Kissanja No Sleep and Zero Tolerance to Corruption” agenda.
