During the nationwide accountability Barazas led by _Hon. Barugahara Balaam, Minister of Local Government Ugandans have spoken boldly about corruption. From inflated contracts to extortion for services.
But among the loudest whispers that finally made it to the microphone is the most degrading vice of all.
Sex for jobs. Sex for promotions. Sex for survival at work.
Yes, it was captured. Brave women finally stood up at the Barazas and said it openly that some officers in District Service Commissions and public offices have turned recruitment into a trap. That the price for a job is no longer just a bribe, but their bodies, their dignity, and their health. This is no longer a secret in corridors. It is now on record.
And it does not end at recruitment. Inside many workplaces, junior officers mostly young women endure a culture of entitlement from some senior officers. “Be close to me if you want your contract renewed.” “Don’t be difficult if you want that promotion.” Those who refuse are transferred, frustrated, or quietly dismissed. Many suffer in silence to protect their families and marriages.
Let us call this what it is: _This is not an affair. It is abuse of power. It is sexual corruption. It is a crime.
Under the Employment Act, 2006, sexual harassment is illegal. Under the Anti-Corruption Act, soliciting a sexual favour as a condition for giving a job, service or promotion is corruption no different from soliciting money.
Why did it take this long to be captured on microphone?
First, victims fear retaliation and shame. Second, reporting systems are weak or compromised how do you report the very person who controls your job? Third, we as a society normalized it, dismissing it as “private matters” instead of the abuse of power it is.
Now that it is on microphone, what shall we do?
This must be our awakening call as a society.
_1. Protect the whistle-blowers:_ Every district, ministry and agency must have a safe, confidential, victim-centered desk independent of supervisors. RDC offices, under the Office of the President, must be open to receive these complaints directly.
_2. Enforce the law decisively:The IGG, Police, and ODPP must treat sex-for-jobs as a corruption case. Investigate, arrest, prosecute, and dismiss. Impunity is what emboldened this vice.
_3. Fix the system: District Service Commissions must be audited. Interviews must be transparent, and every workplace must constitute Sexual Harassment Committees as required by law.
_And to our women:_ You need to be vigilant. You need to be assertive. You need to be able to say NO! Never be compromised. Never be intimidated. Your body is not a currency for a job. Your dignity is not negotiable. A job that costs your dignity is not worth having — and an officer who asks for it does not deserve that office.
To those in public offices who do this: You are corrupt. A government job is a constitutional right based on merit, not a commodity to be traded for sex.
To the victims who spoke: Thank you for your courage. Your voice has broken the silence. Your courage will protect the next generation.
Hon. Barugahara Balaam’s Barazas have given Ugandans permission to speak. But as we fight corruption, let’s pay attention to sexual harassment. Let’s not treat it as a lesser evil.
Imagine it is your daughter, your sister, your wife — desperate for a job, being told to trade her dignity for a chance to serve her country. Imagine her silence, her trauma, her broken spirit.
If we cannot protect our daughters from predators in public offices, then what are we really fighting for?
_For God and My Country.
_The Writer is an Assistant Resident District Commissioner- Iganga District.
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