Jessica Nantongo is seated under a tree on the compound of Mukabara Primary School. She is busy writing away in a small notebook. “I am noting the names and time of arrival of each teacher,” says the 26-year-old resident of Bulimya village in Kiziranfumbi Sub-county.
She then moves around the school observing the teaching and learning environment. “I will forward my findings to the office of the district education officer,” Ms Nantongo, a mother of one, says. She is one of the 70 women in Hoima Municipality who have taken it upon themselves to closely monitor the operations at public schools and health facilities in their communities. “Where we observe any kind of gaps in the delivery of services, we notify relevant offices to address them immediately,” Nantongo adds.
The women, none of whom holds a leadership or political office and most of whom did not complete secondary education, have caused several disciplinary actions against errant civil servants. They were trained in public expenditure tracking and monitoring service delivery by the Mid-Western Region Anti-Corruption Coalition (MIRAC), a Bunyoro regional anti-corruption agency.