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IGG HOLDS OMBUDSMAN CLINIC IN ADJUMANI TO STRENGTHEN ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY.

By Bazio Doreen.The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has held an Ombudsman Clinic in Adjumani Town Council, providing a platform for current and former public servants and citizens to present grievances concerning salaries, pensions, employment records and public service delivery.The clinic was held on 7th October 2026, as a pre-activity ahead of the commemoration of International Ombudsman Day on Thursday, 8th October 2026.This year's commemoration is being held under the theme: “Ombuds: Office of Options”, with the national campaign slogan #TalkToTheOmbudsman. The IGG says the Ombudsman function provides citizens with avenues for resolving administrative grievances, delays in service delivery and workplace injustices.The clinic brought together the Resident District Commissioner's office, District Police Commander, District Internal Security Officer, NIRA officials, district technical staff and aggrieved current and former public servants.Ombudsman complaints remain significant.The Adjumani engagement comes against a backdrop of significant demand for Ombudsman services nationally.According to the IGG, Ombudsman-related matters accounted for 37 percent of all complaints investigated and concluded by the Inspectorate during FY2025/2026. The Inspectorate resolved 1,011 Ombudsman cases during the financial year and recommended Shs 2.353 billion for payment to individuals whose employment benefits had been denied or delayed.The IGG identifies common grievances as delayed or non-payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities, delays in accessing important documents and payroll, irregular recruitment and workplace malpractice.Speaking at the Adjumani clinic, Francis Were, Ma’di Sub-Region Inspectorate Officer based in Moyo District, said the Ombudsman function is intended to promote efficient and effective public service delivery.“It is everyone’s responsibility to fight corruption,” Were said.  Were also said some complaints are driven by communication gaps between citizens and public institutions.“People complain because of a communication gap that needs to be addressed. Information should be shared on all available information platforms,” Were added.Public servants raise grievances.The clinic gave current and former public servants an opportunity to present individual cases directly to government institutions.Ambayo Godfrey, an Education Assistant at Elegu Primary School, told the clinic:“I joined service in December 2024 but I have never received my salary arrears,” Ambayo said.Madraa Gloria Koma, a teacher, said her employment details had remained on the Payroll-Based System (PBS) since 2024, although other employees had been migrated to the Human Capital Management system (HCM).She said the situation had affected her ability to access a loan.Hon. Osman Yusuf Shaban, Former Town Council Speaker, raised concerns about deductions from councilors’ allowances.He said: “Allowances of councilors are being deducted without clear reason from the Town Council leaders.”Opeli Steven, Former Senior Assistant Chief Administrative Officer and pensioner, also presented a complaint concerning his retirement. He said his service was irregularly terminated in 2021 and that he retired in 2023 at the age of 47.Opeli said: “The pension and gratuity I received was inadequate and wrongly computed.”District responds to salary complaints.Responding to the grievances, Igama Nobert, Principal Human Resources Officer, said the district had submitted a claim for domestic arrears to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.He explained that salary delays can sometimes result from mismatches between NIRA records and payroll records.“When you miss salary in June, you automatically miss the one for the next financial year, especially July,” Igama explained.Igama said that after harmonization and gazettement, affected staff can take several months to regain access to the payroll.He also disclosed that 45 new teachers had been recruited while the district initially had salary provision for only 12, although he said the Ministry of Public Service had given permission for payment arrangements to be made.The district's payroll challenges are not entirely new. In 2023, district officials said 447 employees had gone unpaid for February and March, amounting to Shs 592 million, while the district reported a Shs 5.1 billion wage shortfall covering secondary education and other wage requirements.Staff migration remains a challenge.Igama said 17 staff members were still being paid through PBS because they had not migrated their details to HCM in time.He added that staff experiencing mismatches between their PBS and NIRA records can seek a waiver where they are unable to harmonize their details.On retirement benefits, Igama said some people lack meeting minutes and letters confirming their service or work period, which are required when processing retirement benefits.He also said a census had been conducted for people above 75 years to facilitate upgrading of their pension payments to full salary.The Principal Human Resources Officer further cautioned against attempts to obtain double gratuity payments, saying this could cause financial loss to government.NIRA explains identification delaysVundru Dominic, NIRA Registration Officer, said harmonization of people's details on National Identification Cards is ongoing.He said ordinary processing of a National ID can take approximately three months, while applicants seeking express processing at NIRA headquarters pay Shs 300,000.He added that changing details to harmonize information on a National ID with academic documents can take about one month and requires approvals involving the court, URSB and NIRA.Councilors’ allowances.The issue of councilors’ allowances was also clarified by Eriku Patrick Keleture, Town Clerk of Adjumani Town Council.Keleture said councilors’ sitting allowances attract a 40 percent tax deduction, which he described as secondary tax charged by URA.He explained that although councilors receive the remaining allowance in cash, the deduction is made at the bank before withdrawal.According to Keleture, the cash arrangement was maintained because councilors considered the allowances too small to justify withdrawing them from the bank.Staffing gaps affect service delivery.The grievances are raised at a time when Adjumani is also working to address staffing gaps.In March 2026, the district resumed recruitment for 59 public-service positions after protests disrupted the process. The district had an allocated Shs 810 million wage bill for the recruitment.64 percent of the district's human-resource positions are filled. The staffing situation is particularly important for Adjumani, which provides services to both host communities and a large refugee population.Emmanuel Okware, Deputy Resident District Commissioner, thanked the stakeholders for collaborating with the IGG to address public grievances. He urged aggrieved staff and citizens to make use of the established complaint channels.The clinic provided an opportunity for citizens and public servants to engage directly with responsible institutions on administrative challenges.For Adjumani District, strengthening communication, ensuring accurate staff records, addressing payroll challenges and following up complaints remain important steps towards improving public service delivery and public confidence in government institutions.END

ADJUMANI, MOH STRENGTHEN MATERNAL HEALTHCARE WITH FIVE PORTABLE ULTRASOUND MACHINES.

 By Bazio Doreen. Adjumani District has strengthened its maternal and child healthcare services following the handover of five portable Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) machines to 5 health facilities across the district.The equipment is expected to improve access to ultrasound services, support early detection of pregnancy-related complications and strengthen timely referral and management of high-risk pregnancies among both host and refugee communities.The machines were handed over through the Ministry of Health under the Pathfinder International EMPOWER Programme, with funding support from the Government of the United Kingdom through the British High Commission.The five machines are valued at approximately Shs 100 million, while an additional Shs 40 million has been invested in training five health workers to operate the equipment. The trained health workers will continue receiving hands-on mentorship from specialists.Strengthening services across 43 health facilities.Adjumani has 43 high-volume health facilities, creating significant demand for accessible maternal and diagnostic services.The Medical Superintendent of Adjumani General Hospital, Dr Michael Ambaku, said the new equipment will help address the challenge of pregnant women travelling long distances to the district hospital for ultrasound services.“Currently, mothers have been highly burdened to travel long distances to Adjumani General Hospital,” Dr Ambaku said.The five machines will serve Adjumani General Hospital, Mungula Health Centre IV, Ofua Health Centre III, Ukusijoni Health Centre III and Ayilo Health Centre II.The distribution is intended to bring ultrasound services closer to communities while enabling health workers to monitor pregnancies, identify possible complications and make timely referrals.Building on strong maternal health performance.The intervention builds on significant progress already registered by Adjumani District in maternal health.A  district report covering July 2024 to May 24, 2025 recorded 13,577 deliveries, of which 13,575 were safe, with two maternal deaths. Health officials attributed the achievement to interventions including Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPACR) and Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR).Adjumani General Hospital has also been recognized for its maternal health performance, ranking third among more than 63 government general hospitals in Uganda for low mortality rates. The latest intervention is therefore expected to complement existing district efforts by addressing access to timely diagnostic services.Addressing maternal and newborn deaths.Adjumani District Health Officer, Dr Dominic Drametu, said ultrasound scanning is important in monitoring pregnancies and identifying possible complications.He noted that while the district has recorded relatively low maternal deaths over the years, more attention is required to address prenatal deaths.“It is my hope that with these machines and the trained health workers, we shall embark on health outreaches to be able to monitor fetuses in neighboring health facilities,” Dr Drametu said.At national level, Uganda continues to make progress in maternal and reproductive healthcare, but significant gaps remain.The 2026 EMPOWER national assessment reported that facility deliveries increased from 60% to 86%, while maternal mortality remains at 189 deaths per 100,000 live births. Neonatal mortality stands at 22 deaths per 1,000 live births, against a global target of 12.The assessment highlighted distance, cost, shortages of trained personnel and quality-of-care gaps as continuing challenges.The provision of portable ultrasound equipment to underserved facilities therefore represents an important investment in bringing essential diagnostic services closer to communities.Equipment matched with skills.The intervention combines equipment with human-resource development.Five health workers have been trained to operate the POCUS machines, with continued specialist mentorship planned to strengthen their skills. Mentors were also present during the handover to provide hands-on support.This approach is expected to improve sustainability by ensuring that the machines are supported by health workers with the skills required to use them effectively.The Assistant District Health Officer in charge of Maternal and Child Health, Henry Lulu Leku, said the equipment will strengthen pregnancy monitoring and referral services at the beneficiary facilities.District leadership welcomes the interventionAdjumani District Chairperson, Hon. Anyanzo John Ambayo, welcomed the equipment and called upon health workers to ensure that the machines are put to good use.“I want to appeal to the health workers to put the equipment into good use so that our performance in health centre facilities improves,” Anyanzo said.He commended the Government of the United Kingdom and implementing partners for supporting the district and called for continued investment in medical equipment.Adjumani Resident District Commissioner, Swaib Toko, also commended the support, noting that the equipment will strengthen ongoing efforts to minimize maternal and child deaths.With the combination of equipment, trained health workers, specialist mentorship and outreach, the district is confident that more pregnant women will access timely pregnancy assessments closer to their communities.The intervention reinforces Adjumani District's commitment to sustaining its gains in maternal health while addressing remaining gaps in access, early detection and timely referral.Bringing ultrasound services closer to women is another step towards safer pregnancies, healthier mothers and better outcomes for newborns.END.

DISTRICT LEADERS, BENEFICIARIES UNITE TO STRENGTHEN PDM ACCOUNTABILITY LOOP.

By Bazio Doreen.Adjumani District Local Government has committed to strengthening monitoring, accountability and beneficiary support under the Parish Development Model (PDM) following findings from a monitoring exercise conducted across all sub-counties in the district.The commitment was made during a stakeholder engagement organized by the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) under its “Strengthening Budget Accountability Systems and Practices Project”, that started in 2024 and ends in 2027.The engagement brought together Participatory Budget Clubs (PBCs), district technical staff, PDM beneficiaries and sub-county leaders to review findings from monitoring conducted between April and May 2026 and identify measures to improve implementation of the PDM programme. Adjumani District currently has 56 PDM SACCOs.The monitoring exercise conducted by CSBAG through PBCs reached 94 beneficiaries, comprising 44 males and 50 females. Of those interviewed, 37 were aged between 18 and 35 years, 48 were aged 36 to 60 years, while nine were above 60 years.The findings highlighted several implementation challenges requiring strengthened coordination among beneficiaries, SACCO leadership, Parish Chiefs, Agricultural Extension Officers, sub-county leaders and district technical teams.Strengthening beneficiary support.The monitoring established gaps in beneficiary training and follow-up.Sixty-four beneficiaries reported that they had never been visited by Parish Chiefs, PDM SACCO leaders or Agricultural Extension Officers, while 43 said they had never received training.The findings further indicated that 27 beneficiaries lacked reliable markets for their produce or enterprises, with some depending on middlemen.Another significant concern was enterprise record keeping. Seventy-four beneficiaries reported having no records from their enterprises, making it difficult to assess business performance, monitor income and expenditure, and support beneficiaries to make informed decisions.The findings also showed that only 33 beneficiaries had partially repaid their loans at the time of the monitoring.The monitoring therefore identified continued sensitization, enterprise development, record keeping, market linkage and routine monitoring as key areas requiring attention.Addressing accountability concerns.The stakeholder meeting also discussed allegations of unofficial payments associated with accessing PDM support.According to the monitoring findings, 64 beneficiaries reported paying between Shs 50,000 and Shs 150,000 before receiving money or being selected.The district PDM focal person, Dr Mamawi Godfrey, emphasized that extortion of beneficiaries is a criminal offence and called for evidence to enable authorities to take appropriate action.He noted that leaders from Pakele and Itirikwa had previously faced prosecution over allegations relating to extortion and illegal payments.“It is criminal to extort, but most times beneficiaries fail to give evidence,” Dr Mamawi said.He urged beneficiaries and members of the public to report suspected cases through the appropriate channels and provide information that can support investigations.Dr Mamawi further clarified that the Shs 500, 000 provided to SACCOs for operations is public money and is not intended for Parish Chiefs or SACCO board chairpersons.He also explained that Government provides additional operational support to facilitate withdrawal-related charges associated with PDM disbursements.“Each SACCO receives an additional shs 4,000/= on top of the shs 1 million to cater for withdrawal charges. This means that beneficiaries should not be charged withdrawal fees for their shs 1 million,” Mamawi added.Building accountability through community monitoring.Peter Apidra, CSBAG Field Officer in Adjumani, said PDM's economic empowerment component directly relates to CSBAG's work on budgeting, planning and accountability.“PDM has a component of economic empowerment which aligns directly with the CSBAG mandate of budgeting and planning,” Apidra said.He noted that community monitoring provides an important mechanism for identifying challenges affecting programme beneficiaries and informing improvements in planning and implementation not just at the district level but even at the national level.Amoko Justin, a PBC member from Dzaipi, called for continuous sensitization of beneficiaries, particularly given the literacy challenges identified during the monitoring exercise.“Most beneficiaries are being extorted because of ignorance and due to limited sensitization,” he said.He also added that some beneficiaries face difficulties accessing markets for their enterprises, affecting their ability to generate income and repay the revolving fund.Improving enterprise sustainability.The leaders also acknowledged the need to strengthen enterprise selection and support.Aserua Rose, who represented the LC III Chairperson of Pachara Sub-county, observed that some groups were reportedly formed specifically for purposes of accessing the programme rather than building on existing community enterprises.“Most groups were formed for the purpose of the project. They were not existing groups,” Rose said.She also raised concerns about beneficiaries diverting funds to household needs and other non-income-generating activities.The observations reinforce the importance of strengthening enterprise assessment before disbursement, continuous mentorship after disbursement and closer monitoring of how funds are invested.Repayment and sustainability.The meeting also focused on loan recovery, given that PDM financing is intended to operate as a revolving fund.Eriku Patrick Keleture, Town Clerk of Adjumani Town Council, said the level of recovery remained low and urged beneficiaries and leaders to take the programme seriously.“Such projects need to be taken seriously because in the future local governments will be financed by local revenue and from loan repayments,” Keleture said.He further observed that the uniform allocation to parishes may not sufficiently account for differences in population and geographical circumstances.“The 100 million is inadequate because parishes differ geographically and in population,” he said.However, improving loan recovery will require more than enforcement. Beneficiaries need appropriate enterprises, technical support, and access to markets, financial literacy and regular monitoring to enable their businesses to generate sustainable income.District to conduct joint monitoring.As part of its response, Dr Mamawi says the district leadership will conduct joint monitoring visits in October 2026 involving relevant technical officers and stakeholders.According to Dr Mamawi, the exercise will provide an opportunity to verify the concerns raised during the CSBAG monitoring exercise, assess enterprise performance, review beneficiary support and strengthen accountability at SACCO and parish level.He also added that SACCO accounts that had been frozen because of delayed accountability have since been reopened following submission of the required accountability.Dr Mamawi encouraged the public to report suspected irregularities, including cases where individuals may use the identities of deceased persons to access public funds.Strengthening PDM for household transformation.The Parish Development Model is intended to support the transition of households from subsistence production into the money economy through access to affordable financing, enterprise development and other forms of support.The concerns raised during the monitoring exercise therefore provide an important opportunity for the district and its partners to strengthen implementation rather than undermine the program’s objectives.Going forward, the district leaders pledged to prioritize regular monitoring, beneficiary sensitization, enterprise support, market linkages, proper record keeping, accountability and loan recovery.The leaders also called upon beneficiaries to use PDM financing for its intended purpose, maintain proper records, participate in training and honor their repayment obligations.Dr Mamawi also appreciated CSBAG and the Participatory Budget Clubs for undertaking community-level monitoring and providing feedback that can contribute to improved planning, implementation and accountability.He observed that there is need for all key stake holders to continue working with communities, to ensure that PDM resources are used transparently and productively to support household income generation and sustainable economic transformation.END.