Abraham Luzzi lost the election, but his reform agenda lives on in Uganda’s governance debate

Months after Abraham Luzzi failed to win the Kampala Central parliamentary seat, some of the issues he highlighted during his campaign have become central to a government push to improve accountability in local administration.

However, his campaign manifesto, which focused on issues including public sector accountability, digital systems, payroll management and service delivery, has gained renewed attention as Local Government officials intensify inspections of government institutions.

The Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara, and State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere have in recent weeks carried out unannounced visits to schools, health centres and district offices, where they have questioned officials over absenteeism, suspected ghost workers and alleged misuse of public resources.

There is no public evidence that the ministers adopted their approach from Luzzi’s manifesto. Government policy is shaped by multiple institutions and actors. But observers have noted similarities between some of the problems Luzzi raised during his campaign and those now being investigated.

A different style of campaign

Luzzi’s campaign stood out because of its heavy use of digital platforms rather than traditional political rallies.

In his manifesto, he argued that technology could reduce the cost of elections, widen voter participation and shift political competition towards ideas and policies rather than financial influence.

He also linked expensive campaigns to corruption, arguing that candidates who spend heavily to win office may later seek to recover their costs through misuse of public resources.

His 47-page manifesto covered areas including governance reform, economic management, justice, urban development, employment and accountability.

A major theme was that government performance should be measured by what citizens receive on the ground, not only by official reports.

Focus on verification

That message has gained attention following recent government inspections.

During a visit to Naiku Health Centre III in Mbale District, Minister Balaam Barugahara questioned why only a small number of staff were present despite official records showing a larger workforce.

The minister said some names on the payroll were suspected to be ghost workers and ordered officials to review the records.

Abraham Luzzi and his wife Sarah receiving an award recently

At Naiku Primary School, he also questioned reported enrolment figures after officials found a difference between the number of pupils present and the figures submitted to government.

The allegations remain subject to investigation and due process.

Digital systems and accountability

Luzzi’s manifesto proposed integrating government databases to improve verification of employees, beneficiaries and public services.

He argued that linking records from institutions such as government payroll systems, taxation and identification databases would make it harder for fraudulent entries to remain undetected.

His proposals also called for stronger accountability measures against officials responsible for corruption, financial loss or poor supervision.

Some of his suggested penalties, including harsher punishments for corruption offences, attracted debate over legal and constitutional concerns.

The challenge of enforcement

The current government inspections have received both support and criticism.

Supporters say the approach is exposing long-standing weaknesses in public service delivery.

Critics have raised concerns about whether arrests and public investigations are always balanced with proper procedures and the rights of accused officials.

In Jinja District, Barugahara directed a chief administrative officer to step aside while allegations of maladministration were investigated. The officer denied wrongdoing.

In Bulambuli District, officials questioned the cost and quality of a sanitation facility after an inspection raised concerns about whether the physical structure matched reported expenditure.

Investigations will determine whether any wrongdoing occurred.

Beyond the election

Luzzi’s campaign did not result in a parliamentary seat, but his manifesto created a public record of the governance issues he wanted addressed.

These included:

• verifying government workers;
• improving public records;
• strengthening project monitoring;
• recovering public funds;
• increasing citizen participation.

The current government efforts focus mainly on local administration and service delivery, rather than the wider constitutional and political reforms proposed in Luzzi’s manifesto.

Still, the debate around accountability, public spending and service delivery continues.

For Luzzi, the election ended without political office. But some of the questions raised during his campaign — who is working, who is being paid, what has been delivered and who should be held responsible — remain part of Uganda’s national conversation.