KAMPALA UGANDA: The Inspectorate of Government has recommended the payment of UGX2.35 billion to citizens whose employment benefits were withheld, delayed or irregularly handled during the Financial Year 2025/2026.
The money was secured through the Inspectorate’s intervention in complaints handled under its Ombudsman mandate, which focuses on addressing maladministration, administrative injustice and delays in public service delivery.
According to the Inspector General of Government, Lady Justice Naluzze Aisha Batala, the Inspectorate resolved 1,011 Ombudsman cases across central and local government institutions during the financial year.
The Ombudsman-related matters accounted for 37 percent of all complaints investigated and concluded by the Inspectorate during the period.Batala said many of the complaints originated from local governments, where citizens have direct interaction with government institutions and public services.
The common grievances included delayed or non-payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities, irregular calculation of employment benefits, delays in accessing essential government services, irregular recruitment processes, malicious interdictions and victimisation of whistleblowers.
The Inspectorate says its Ombudsman function is intended to provide citizens with an alternative avenue for resolving administrative grievances without necessarily going through lengthy and costly court processes.
The Inspectorate is currently preparing to commemorate International Ombuds Day on October 8, 2026, under the theme “Ombuds: Office of Options”, with the national campaign slogan #Talk to the ombudsman.
The theme emphasises the role of the Ombudsman as an accessible avenue through which citizens can seek redress through mediation, early advice, informal intervention and targeted recommendations.
As part of the celebrations, the Inspectorate has declared the second week of October as Ombuds Action Week, during which its 16 regional offices will conduct community outreaches and clinics to receive and resolve citizens’ complaints.
The Inspectorate will also carry out spot checks at public service delivery points and engage Parliament on strengthening the implementation of Ombudsman recommendations.
The Inspectorate has urged citizens experiencing workplace injustice, delayed employment benefits or administrative neglect to come forward and #TalkToTheOmbudsman.
