Title: Egomaniacal Leadership and Administrative Inefficacy in Ugandan Government Entities
Authors: Peter Adoko Obicci
Volume: 10
Issue: 4
Pages: 51-61
Publication Date: 2026/04/28
Abstract:
Egomaniacal leadership posed a serious challenge to effective governance in Uganda's public sector. This article examined how self-aggrandizing behavior eroded administrative performance by distorting authority, weakening accountability, and constraining service delivery. A qualitative design informed the analysis. Evidence was drawn from semi-structured interviews with 30 civil servants across ministries, departments, agencies, and local governments. Documentary analysis of official reports and scholarly work supported the interpretation. The findings indicated a clear pattern of personalized control. Leaders concentrated authority and bypassed formal procedures. Loyalty was rewarded while competence was overlooked. Staff were removed from payrolls without due process and reassigned to degrading roles without notice. These actions reshaped organizational behavior. Communication became fear-driven, while compliance turned defensive and strategic. Initiative declined, technical expertise was marginalized, resources were diverted, and organizational learning was limited. Institutional context intensified these outcomes. Centralized governance reinforced personal control, while entrenched cultural norms discouraged dissent. Institutional legitimacy weakened, service delivery delays increased, public trust declined, and administrative coherence eroded. The analysis connected leadership pathology to bureaucratic dysfunction, contributed to scholarship on governance failure in low and middle-income contexts, and provided grounded insight to strengthen accountability, organizational resilience, and public sector performance.