Date: [July 31, 2025]
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) worked with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to carry out a major anti-corruption operation in Greater Mpigi, covering Mpigi, Butambala, and Gomba districts.
The month-long operation followed a directive from His Excellency, the President, after receiving complaints from journalists and residents during his Parish Development Model (PDM) monitoring tour on June 17, 2025, regarding the alleged sale of government jobs and mismanagement of funds in the area.
District Leaders Arrested Over Sale of Government Jobs
The operation in Greater Mpigi exposed a pervasive scheme to sell government jobs to the highest bidder. This network involved a number of high-ranking political and administrative leaders across the three districts. The allegations and subsequent legal proceedings detail how public service, intended to be based on merit, was allegedly transformed into a transactional commodity.
In Mpigi District on June 27, 2025, SH-ACU arrested Mr. Ssejjemba Martine (LCV Chairperson of Mpigi District), Mr. Kirumira Fredrick (Chairperson of the District Service Commission), and Ms. Nakamoga Sarah (Secretary of the Commission). They were accused of asking job seekers for bribes, with applicants reportedly paying between UGX 50,000 and UGX 15 million to get jobs in the district. In one of the complaints, investigations revealed that the trio demanded UGX 5 million from one applicant, Mr. Herbert Butemba, for the position of assistant district health officer. On June 30, 2025, the suspects were arraigned before the Mpigi Chief Magistrates Court, where they pleaded not guilty and were remanded.
Further investigations extended to Gomba District, where a similar scheme was exposed. On July 11, 2025, the SH-ACU arraigned Mr. Mugerwa John Bosco, the Chairperson of the District Service Commission; Mr. Muwonge Michael, the Secretary; and Mr. Lwanga Charles, the District Inspector of Schools. They faced charges of extortion and conspiracy to commit a felony for allegedly demanding bribes of up to UGX 20 million for jobs and promotions. The officials were remanded to prison until July 25, 2025, for a further mention of their case.
In Butambala District, the focus shifted to a different aspect of fraudulent recruitment. On July 24, 2025, Mr. Idris Walugembe, the Town Clerk of Gombe Town Council and former Secretary of the District Service Commission, was arraigned on charges of forgery. He was accused of altering job application records and unlawfully “smuggling in an applicant” for the position of Inspector of Schools. In a distinct legal turn, Walugembe pleaded guilty to the charges and was remanded pending sentencing.
Misuse of UGX 1 Billion Road Maintenance Grant
Concurrent with the selling of government jobs investigation, SH-ACU uncovered a sophisticated and extensive network for the theft of public funds allocated for road maintenance. This scheme revolved around the government’s UGX 1 Billion Road Maintenance Grant, a program intended to enhance rural accessibility and improve working environments in Local government areas.
In Mpigi, the operation led to the arraignment of Mr. Sitakange Charles, Assistant District Engineer, and Mr. Kyambadde Sam, the Acting District Engineer. They were charged with the theft of 21,739 liters of fuel, valued at UGX 242 million, intended for roadworks in Mpigi Town Council. Investigations found that the engineers had inflated fuel requirements for projects and colluded with fuel station managers to draw excess fuel. The cover-up, falsifying accountability records by using the registration numbers of vehicles that were either grounded or belonged to other departments or private entities. A prime example was a tipper truck with registration number LG 0002-082, which had been out of service since 2022 but was fraudulently used to account for UGX 18.5 million worth of fuel. Records estimate that this fraudulent accounting alone resulted in a loss of at least UGX 90 million. As a result, one entire road project, the Kyansoozi–Kampiringisa–Muyiira Road, which had a budget of UGX 97 million, was never implemented despite being reported as completed.
In Butambala District, on July 18, 2025, SH-ACU arraigned four senior Butambala District officials, including the Ag. District Engineer Naigembe Jesica and Chief Financial Officer Wandera Joseph, they were accused of misappropriating 80,000 liters of fuel valued at UGX 431 million. The allegations against them mirror those in Mpigi, involving inflated fuel allocations and falsified accountability records.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) plays a unique and influential role within Uganda’s anti-corruption framework. Established on December 10, 2018, by President Museveni under Article 99(4) of the Constitution, its mandate is to act as a “catalyst and accelerator” for the fight against corruption. Unlike other bodies, its core function is to receive, scrutinize, and coordinate the speedy processing of corruption complaints reported directly to the presidency, working in concert with established, constitutionally mandated agencies. The SH-ACU’s public-facing efforts, such as Mr. Israel Ochwo the Deputy Head of the Unit, appearing live on Buwama FM to brief residents of Greater Mpigi on the ongoing interventions on the Greater Mpigi operation, highlight its commitment to restoring public trust and engaging citizens in the fight against graft.
In conclusion, the Greater Mpigi anti-corruption crackdown is a textbook example of a reactive, top-down intervention that successfully exposed and disrupted significant corruption networks. It served its immediate purpose of addressing citizen complaints and sending a clear message that abuse of office will not be tolerated. The joint operation model, which combines the SH-ACU’s rapid response capabilities with the CID’s investigative and the ODPP’s prosecutorial powers, proved effective in securing arrests and bringing charges against a number of senior officials.
