TAKEAWAYS

• Balaam Barugahara said he does not fear witchcraft and believes those threatening him are wasting their time because his faith is in God.
• The minister defended his nationwide inspections, saying they are aimed at exposing corruption and ensuring local governments properly account for public funds.
• He cited examples of poor service delivery, including an allegedly substandard Shs73 million pit latrine, understaffed health facilities, poor roads, and discrepancies in school enrolment figures.

Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, has dismissed concerns over alleged witchcraft threats directed at him, saying nothing will stop him from carrying out his constitutional duty of ensuring accountability in local government.

For the past few weeks, Barugahara has been travelling across different districts inspecting government-funded projects to assess whether service delivery matches the budgets allocated to local authorities.

His inspections have reportedly led to the resignation of some officials, while others have been arrested and asked to account for the use of public funds.

Speaking to Sanyuka TV, the minister said he has no fear of witchcraft because his faith is firmly rooted in God.

“Those thinking of bewitching me are wasting their time. Witchcraft doesn’t work and I don’t fear it. My people should not fear anyone because no one will bewitch me.”

Barugahara explained that his work is guided by the Constitution of Uganda and is solely focused on ensuring public resources are used for the benefit of citizens.

He also argued that witch doctors are not immortal, citing well-known traditional healers as examples.

“Even witch doctors die,” he said, mentioning the late Bujagali and noting that another renowned traditional healer was eventually replaced by Mama Fiina.

The minister maintained that his inspections have uncovered worrying cases of poor service delivery despite substantial government funding. Among the examples he highlighted was an allegedly poorly constructed Shs73 million pit latrine and a school that reported having 200 pupils despite only about 80 being present during the inspection.

He further claimed that many government health facilities are operating without adequate medicines or medical personnel, while poor road infrastructure and other shortcomings continue to affect communities.

Barugahara urged the public to support government efforts to combat corruption, saying he and fellow ministers are committed to ensuring taxpayers receive the services they deserve through improved accountability and transparency.