Local Government Minister Barugahara directs councils on media access, budgets, bar hours and alcohol sales

According to the Daily Monitor, Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara, in an August 10, 2026 letter to local government leaders, directed councils to admit journalists to all sittings and display approved budgets, and ordered that bars not open before 3pm on working days, that alcohol not be sold to under-18s and that betting hours be regulated. The Uganda Local Government Association welcomed parts of the directives but its secretary general said the alcohol and betting measures lack a legal basis and would be hard to enforce.