Job seekers pay up Shs50 million in bribes
By Our reporter
KAMPALA – Members of District Service Commissions account for nearly a third of all bribe solicitations in local government recruitment, the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has found. The finding is contained in a 2018–2022 survey that tracked corruption patterns in district-level hiring, with bribes reportedly ranging from UGX 3 million for lower cadre jobs to as high as UGX 50 million for departmental heads.
The report was released on Tuesday June 2nd 2026 by the IGG during a sensitization meeting in Moroto with district service commission members on corruption tendencies in recruitment and procurement across local governments. According to the findings presented by Adam Kayondo Lincoln, a Research and Learning Inspectorate Officer from the IGG’s Kampala office, job seekers often pay bribes at different stages of recruitment. The survey shows that 32.2% of bribes are paid during the job listing, 28.8% at the interview stage, and 22.4% during the application process.
District Service Commission members alone account for 32% of officials implicated in soliciting bribes. Kayondo said the amounts demanded vary depending on sector, position, and seniority. Senior positions such as heads of department attract between UGX 40 million and UGX 50 million, while lower cadre jobs in salary scales U6 and U7, including nursing assistants and Grade III primary teachers, attract about UGX 3 million.
He further noted that the education sector recorded the highest bribe demands at UGX 36.9 billion, followed by the health sector at UGX 12.9 billion in actual payments. Kayondo attributed the corruption to stiff competition for jobs driven by high unemployment, inadequate funding for District Service Commissions, the structure of DSC appointments, political interference, patronage, and nepotism.
He recommended that the government consider improving remuneration for some DSC members as part of efforts to curb bribery. Kassim Kutosi welcomed the IGG’s rollout of an online electronic job application system, saying it could help reduce opportunities for corruption in recruitment processes. Kutosi also called for competency tests for local government staff and supported the idea of job ring-fencing for locals, arguing that this would strengthen service delivery.
Moroto District Local Government Planner Paul Opio urged the IGG to also extend scrutiny to corruption within central government institutions. Moroto District LCV Chairperson Pulkol Anjello said that while online application systems are a positive reform, greater emphasis should be placed on local language proficiency. “An applicant from other parts who does not understand the community’s language will end up failing to deliver services due to the language barrier, unlike locals who know the language,” Pulkol said.
