Mubende
Two officials of Mubende Municipality have been charged before the Mubende Chief Magistrate’s Court following investigations into allegations of extortion involving vendors at Mubende Central Market. The officials were on Monday arraigned by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), working jointly with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), on charges of gross extortion of market vendors. The alleged extortion is said to have contributed to the disorder that characterised the relocation of traders to the newly constructed Mubende Central Market.
The accused are Katumba Francis Xavier, the former Chairperson of the Mubende Central Market Allocation Committee and Assistant Town Clerk for Western Division, Mubende Municipality, and Hakim Sentongo, a member of the allocation committee and a Health Officer in the Western Division. Court remanded the two until February 3, 2026.
The accused: Katumba Francis Xavier, the former Chairperson of the Mubende Central Market Allocation Committee and Hakim Sentongo,
Investigations into the matter were prompted by a public outcry from vendors during separate visits to Mubende by the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the Minister of Local Government, who subsequently requested intervention by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit.
According to investigators, vendors accused members of the Market Allocation Committee of illegally selling lockups and stalls at prices ranging from UGX 100,000 to over UGX 5 million, depending on the type of business and the location of the stall.
One of the complainants, Moses Bisobolwa, is reported to have paid UGX 2 million to Katumba Francis Xavier in order to secure a lockup at the market. The money was allegedly received in the presence of Hakim Sentongo. Preliminary investigations further indicate that more than 51 vendors may have paid money to the two officials to obtain stalls. However, most of the alleged transactions were conducted in cash, limiting the availability of documentary evidence.
Authorities are also investigating claims that some vendors were allocated more than one stall, while other stalls were irregularly allocated to public servants, disadvantaging the intended beneficiaries—low-income market vendors. Investigations are ongoing as authorities work to establish the full extent of the alleged corruption and identify any additional suspects involved.
Torch Media Africa
