The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court has today convicted and sentenced the former Chairperson of the Rakai District Service Commission (DSC), Mpuga David, to five years imprisonment or a fine of UGX 7.2 million after he was found guilty of soliciting and accepting bribes from job applicants.
Mpuga, who served as the head of the recruitment authority in Rakai District, was accused of extorting UGX 20 million from a candidate who had applied for the position of Agricultural Officer.
The prosecution said the money was demanded as a condition for securing the government job.
He later entered into a plea bargain arrangement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), in which he compensated the victim with UGX 30 million, pled guilty to the charges, and agreed to a 10-year ban from holding any public office.
The sentencing has drawn attention to what authorities describe as a widening network of corruption within District Service Commissions across Uganda.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), which worked alongside other investigative bodies to bring Mpuga to justice, has confirmed that similar investigations are ongoing in other districts, including Mpigi, Mukono, Jinja, Gomba, and several others yet to be disclosed.
In recent months, the Unit has intensified its crackdown on corrupt recruitment practices, often characterized by extortion, nepotism, and abuse of office within DSCs, which are mandated to manage recruitment of civil servants at the district level.
The court ruling has been welcomed by anti-corruption advocates and citizens alike, many of whom have long voiced concern over the commercialization of government jobs, especially in rural districts where opportunities are limited.
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