By Chris Mugasha
BUSHENYI: Panic and tension is boiling up among Bushenyi district leaders and technocrats following the arrival of a team from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) in the district.
The team is reportedly to have camped in Bushenyi to investigate the issues surrounding the appointment of the District service commission which has left the district leadership divided over allegations that the process was marred by corruption.
To kick-start the investigations, SH-ACU has since arrested two people in the District connected to the allegations.
The suspects, identified as Richard Nkyeire a director of a transporting company in Bushenyi town and Dan Taritweba (Principal Assistant Secretary), were reportedly rounded up in the wee hours of Wednesday evening for their alleged involvement in the process.
Ms Mariam Natasha, the Public Relations Officer for the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, confirmed the arrests, noting that while the team is currently on the ground, investigations are still in the early stages.
“Just wait! We are likely to see big shots in the district being arrested because they are at the centre of this entire fracas,” a source said.
Genesis of the controversy.
When the district council sat and approved one Denning Barahuka as the new district service commission chairperson, he went into ‘wild excitement’!
He was later contacted on phone by one of the suspects who broke the news and congratulated him! In their phone discussion which one of the two recorded, Denning was heard saying and promising that he was going to look for the balance and pay/clear the team that effected the deal of working on the entire process including approving as the District service commission chairperson.
The recording later linked and went viral and it became a matter of public concern with many wondering how the process could be handled in such a manner. They started to question and debate Denning’s credibility to take up such a position which requires one to possess high levels of trust and credibility in public.
The district council however went ahead to stand on its ground to defend the appointment to the extent of submitting Denning’s name to the government for approval. The approval process has however hit a snag over the controversies surrounding the Denning’s appointment.
The voices in the recording that went viral are those of Denning and Nkyeire while for Taritweba sources indicate that at the time the district executive committee sat and nominated Denning, he (Taritweba) acted as the secretary for the District Executive committee without being deployed/assigned by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO.)
“For Taritweba, it’s technical. We are seeking for guidance and interpretation of guidelines/standing orders,” a source disclosed.
Meanwhile, while the District Council has been waiting for the government to approve Denning and other members of the Commission, Government’s Public Service Commission has sent the district leadership in ‘cold’ by writing to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) demanding for explanation.
The demand follows a petition submitted to the Ministry by Western Ankole Civil Society Forum (WASCOF) questioning and challenging the process on grounds of corruption and non-compliance with the law.
Back ground
Denning’s name was proposed and presented by the district chairman Jaffari Bassajjabalaba to replace Scholastica Ndyagambaki whose term of office reportedly got expired and Bassajjabalaba didn’t nominate her again for re-appointment. This comes at the time when Bassajjabalaba is soon (in May 2026) leaving office to pave way for the incoming District Prosper Twebaze who won the seat for the District chairman.
Denning is a former secondary school classroom teacher and currently he runs Bumbeire secondary school as the Director. End.
