Written By | Joshua Nahamya
The legal action follows the emergence of a scandalous social media audio recording
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Joshua Nahamya
Bushenyi
The Bushenyi District Local Government is embroiled in a legal battle following a court petition challenging the appointment of the District Service Commission. Counsel Denis Twahika, the Executive Director of the Enjoki Center for Justice and Accountability, has moved to court accusing the district leadership, headed by LCV Chairman Jafari Basajjabalaba, of orchestrating a criminal enterprise to "sell" positions on the commission.
The petition, filed by Counsel Denis Twahika, the Executive Director of the Enjoki Center for Justice and Accountability, accuses the district leadership—headed by LCV Chairman Jafari Basajjabalaba—of turning public office appointments into a commercial enterprise.
Denis Twahika Enjoki addressing journalists
The legal action follows the emergence of a scandalous social media audio recording. The recording allegedly details a transaction involving the appointment of Mr. Barahuka Denning as the Chairperson of the Service Commission in exchange for a bribe.
“The job I started I have completed it... Barahuka Denning, you have been appointed chairperson service commission... let me look for his [Jafari’s] Shs 3 million I bring it and we give it to him when he gets out of council as he is going to eat lunch,” a voice in the translated audio claims.
Accused: Chairman Jafari Basajjabalaba
In a formal petition dated 22 December 2025, addressed to the District Integrity Promotion Committee, Twahika requested an investigation into the recently concluded selection process, which he describes as “marred with gross extortion.”
He is currently seeking a court order to extract the audio as formal evidence to support charges of misuse of office and bribery.
"The process has been marred with extortion and bribery of District Council Leaders. We shall avail the evidence in our possession to buttress the above allegation and later prove the truth of it," the letter states.
“Corruption in District Service Commissions must be confronted with all the vigor at our disposal. The evil of corruption has undermined the integrity of government and affected social service delivery. We must expose the perpetrators and stamp out the vice,” Twahika stated in his letter to the District Integrity Promotion Committee.
Enjoki Denis Twahika, the petitioner
Twahika further noted that the "auctioning" of public roles has reached a breaking point, where individuals are now allegedly buying membership onto the very commission that is supposed to hire others on merit.
“This corruption has penetrated the district service commission; we are ashamed to see that people... all bought jobs and bought them from the district leadership involving brokers. Our people don’t get jobs because the committees buy them. Procurement processes have corruption never seen before—they pick a road supposed to be done by Shs 1 billion, they inject 3 billion and eat it,” Twahika explained.
The petition has resonated with local residents who feel excluded from the “model district’s” success. Concerned citizen Blick Nuwe echoed these fears, questioning the impact on qualified but poor job seekers.
“Are positions being auctioned in this manner by politicians who act as dealers? If so, what does this mean for job seekers from ‘poor’ backgrounds who cannot afford to buy jobs from such commissioners and political dealers?” Nuwe asked.
While some stakeholders, such as Apollo Lee Kakonge of WACSOF, have dismissed claims involving them as "baseless," others like Martin Mumpe argue that the systemic issue stems from the high costs of political campaigning.
“You can’t get jobs without connections and money in Uganda... these chairpersons put in a lot of money into elections—more than a billion—to get elected. Where do you think they will recover their money if they give out jobs for free?” Mumpe remarked.
Efforts to reach Chairman Jafari Basajjabalaba for a comment by press time were unsuccessful. The Chairman, who recently lost the NRM primaries to radio presenter Prosper Twebaze, now faces accusations that he is "reaping the final harvest" before his term officially concludes in 2026.
Twahika remains defiant: “The good thing is that the accused are innocent, until the contrary is proved... but what I am a hundred percent sure of is that a prima facie case against the accused is already proved, and they will be put to their defense. Sympathy is over; we must confront evil head-on.”
The petition has been copied to the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit.
Torch Media Africa
