Written By | Peter Luzinda
ACCUSED: Parliament's Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Chris Obore, a senior official who has for years acted as one of the institution's most visible spokespersons
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KAMPALA
Uganda's Parliament is facing one of its biggest corruption scandals in recent years after seven senior staff members were charged over the alleged theft of more than Shs70 billion from parliamentary accounts and cooperative systems.
The accused officials, many of whom served during the leadership of former Speaker Anita Among, appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala before being remanded to Luzira Prison as investigations continue.
Among those charged is Parliament's Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Chris Obore, a senior official who has for years acted as one of the institution's most visible spokespersons. Prosecutors accuse him and others of taking part in a coordinated scheme that allegedly diverted billions of shillings meant for parliamentary activities.
For many Ugandans hearing about the case for the first time, the scandal centers around claims that money belonging to Parliament and related staff savings structures was irregularly withdrawn, shared, and transferred through internal systems over several years.
Investigators say the suspects include officials from the Speaker's office, the human resource department, and the Parliamentary SACCO. Authorities believe some of the transactions were disguised as staff benefits, administrative payments, and cooperative activities.
Court documents indicate that different officials are accused of handling different amounts of money. Former Human Resource Director Daniel Adilo is said to be among those accused of taking the largest sums, while Chris Obore is also facing allegations involving billions of shillings.
The arrests were carried out by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), Uganda's anti-corruption body, following months of investigations into financial operations inside Parliament.
The case has attracted national attention because it comes at a time when former Speaker Anita Among is already under growing public and political pressure over accountability in Parliament. Security agencies recently carried out searches linked to wider investigations into financial dealings connected to the previous parliamentary administration.
The scandal has also drawn in former Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga, who is reportedly being investigated over financial approvals and controversial service awards made during the 11th Parliament. However, no criminal charges have been announced against him.
Political analysts say the investigations could expose how deeply corruption networks may have operated inside one of Uganda's most powerful institutions.
The accused officials are expected to return to court as prosecutors continue gathering evidence and tracing financial transactions linked to the alleged Shs70 billion theft.
The case is likely to increase pressure on Parliament to explain how such large sums of public money could allegedly disappear without early detection.
