The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court has sentenced Abert Matsiko Mutwingire , the former Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Ibanda District, and Tom Nuwagira , the District Natural Resources Officer, to 18 months in prison.
The two senior officials were found guilty of illegally allocating 13 hectares of the Ibanda Forest Reserve to the Rukokoma Mixed Farmers Cooperative Society without obtaining the necessary degazettement—a legal process required to alter the status of protected land.
The forest land in question is government property under the protection of Ibanda District.
Judge Jane Okuo Kajuga said that the two had grossly abused their offices and acted outside the bounds of their authority.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the duo was ordered to compensate Ibanda District with shs 10,470,000 each.
This amount represents the financial loss the district incurred in the process of recovering the unlawfully allocated land.
The case was investigated and prosecuted with support from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, which arrested the accused and brought the matter to court.
This conviction marks a significant victory in Uganda’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption and protect public assets, particularly those related to natural resources and environmental conservation.