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Some of the officials arraigned
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Busia — Following a series of community barazas and extensive public engagement, several senior officials from Busia Municipality have been arraigned before the Busia Chief Magistrates Court on charges of Theft and Conspiracy to Defraud the Government. The joint operation, spearheaded by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), uncovered a fraudulent scheme involving the misappropriation of over UGX 200 million from a UGX 1 billion road maintenance grant meant for local infrastructure development.
The accused officials include:
Baganzi Ronald Ross – Former Town Clerk, Busia Municipality; now Town Clerk of Kumi
Kiganda James Farouk – Municipal Engineer
Chimulwa Wycliffe – Principal Accountant
Sekamanya Martin – Assistant Engineering Officer
Kundu Javenarly – Foreman, Works Department
Kyaligonza Christopher – Manager, Shell Busia
Mukisa Were – Assistant Manager, Shell Busia
According to prosecutors, the officials, through the municipality's engineering department and in collusion with staff at Shell Busia, diverted public funds by channeling them through the fuel station under the guise of fuel supplies for road maintenance. Preliminary investigations reveal that more than UGX 200 million was siphoned from the grant through fictitious fuel transactions.
Some of the arraigned officials
In a related case, Asset David, the Chairperson of the North “C” Parish Development Model (PDM) SACCO, has also been charged for allegedly soliciting bribes from PDM beneficiaries in exchange for access to their government funds.
All the accused have been remanded until May 30, 2025, as investigations continue.
The arrests mark a significant step in the fight against corruption in local governments, with authorities reiterating their commitment to rooting out misuse of public resources and ensuring accountability at all levels.
Torch Media Africa
