Kapchorwa District, part of our Sebei homeland, is facing a deepening crisis of corruption. From job rackets in public service to land grabbing and exploitation of poverty programs, the people of Kapchorwa are paying the highest price. Reports confirm that Kapchorwa leads in corruption, and the consequences are devastating for ordinary families.
Jobs for Sale: The Human Cost
In March 2025, Kapchorwa District advertised 106 job vacancies in municipal, health, and education departments. What should have been a fair recruitment process quickly turned into a scandal. On 10 June 2025, LCV Chairperson Everline Chemutai Kubarika suspended the District Service Commission (DSC) pending investigation into allegations of irregularities. (ugandaradionetwork.net)
Applicants report being asked to pay bribes of up to UGX 72 million to secure positions. These applicants are not privileged elites. They are children of families who have sacrificed everything for their education. Some parents sold land, homes, and other property to ensure their children could finish school. Others brewed alcohol or worked multiple jobs, skipping meals, to pay school fees. Yet after years of sacrifice, they are told their efforts are meaningless without a bribe. (insightpostug.com
Several councilors have petitioned for transparency, alleging political interference in recruitment. (ugandaradionetwork.net)
Land Grabbing & Mining: Our Land, Their Profits
Kapchorwa is rich in pozzolana, exploited by cement companies including Tororo Cement, Kampala Cement, Hima Cement, and Simba Cement. (monitor.co.ug)
Villages like Chemangala, Chekwatit, Kapchela, and Kaboryat are within 500 meters of quarries, suffering dust, rock blasts, and home destruction. Although companies promise compensation, relocation, schools, and infrastructure, many residents report these promises remain unfulfilled. (monitor.co.ug)
MPs intervened in 2025, ordering a halt on mining until proper impact assessments and full compensation are implemented. (monitor.co.ug)
PDM Funds Misused: Exploiting the Vulnerable
The Parish Development Model (PDM) was designed to help the poorest. Yet in Kapchorwa, it has become a tool for extortion. In August 2024, Shamim Chebet, Kongowo Parish Chief, was arrested for extorting PDM beneficiaries. (thecooperator.news) Families already struggling to survive face further abuse as officials siphon resources meant to lift them out of poverty.
Why Kapchorwa’s Corruption Threatens Our Future
- Sacrifice is wasted: Families who sold land, brewed alcohol, skipped meals, and worked tirelessly for their children’s education are being punished by a corrupt system.
- Merit is meaningless: Jobs go to the highest bidder or politically connected, leaving qualified youth without opportunities.
- Communities are exploited: Mining companies profit while families live with dust, destroyed homes, and broken promises.
- Trust in institutions collapses: DSCs, land boards, and parish offices fail the people they are meant to serve.
A Call to Action: Sebei Youth Must Rise
We, the Sebei National Youth Movement, demand accountability and justice:
- Anti-corruption agencies (IGG, EACC) must urgently investigate recruitment corruption, land grabbing, and PDM mismanagement.
- Parliament and local authorities must ensure mining operations comply with impact assessments and deliver full compensation.
- Cement companies must honor their promises, repairing damage and supporting affected communities meaningfully.
- Youth and community members must mobilize, document abuses, and demand honest governance.
Final Word
Kapchorwa has immense potential — fertile land, talented youth, and strategic natural resources. But corruption is stealing our future. Public jobs are for sale at huge amounts, Government land is being taken, and poverty programs are misused. If Kapchorwa continues to lead in corruption, the sacrifices of generations will be in vain.
