Seven officials from Rubanda District have been arrested by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) over the alleged embezzlement of Shs 107,688,900 allocated for agricultural inputs.
The suspects include Benon Kahangi, 48, District Production Officer at Rubanda District Local Government; Steven Buregyeya, 46, Senior Treasurer of Rubanda District; Sixtus Ahabwe, 29, Assistant Veterinary Officer; Owen Atuheire, 42, former Assistant Inventory Management Officer; Wilson Kwizera, 39, Assistant Agricultural Officer; Pamela Musimenta, Assistant Agricultural Officer; and Nicholas Karuhanga, 41, Director of Hummer Consults Co. Ltd, who was arrested separately in Rukungiri District.
According to Nowline Nsugungwa, IGG’s Kigezi sub-region representative, six of the suspects were apprehended in Rubanda District, while Karuhanga was arrested in Rukungiri, bringing the total to seven. The officials arrested in Rubanda include staff from the accounts department, the agriculture sector, and the district production office.
“The suspects have been transferred to Kampala and will appear before the Anti-Corruption Court,” Nsugungwa said.
Rubanda Resident District Commissioner Eric Ssewandigi revealed that investigations into the alleged misappropriation have been ongoing for the past two years. He added that three additional officials connected to the case remain at large.
The IGG emphasized that the arrests signal a continued commitment to rooting out corruption in Uganda’s local government systems, particularly concerning public funds earmarked for agriculture.
