Sacked While In Prison!! Museveni Sacks Trade Ministry PS Geraldine Ssali Days After Being Remanded Over Corrupting Billions

President Yoweri Museveni has named Alex Kakooza as the new Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives (MTIC).

Kakooza takes over from Geraldine Ssali, who was apprehended and charged on July 18, 2024, by the Anti-Corruption Court for allegedly causing financial loss and colluding with Members of Parliament to embezzle cooperative funds.

In an internal memo dated July 25, 2024, Alfred Oyo Andima, the Under Secretary overseeing finance and administration at MTIC, announced a meeting to introduce Kakooza.

The memo stated, “The Minister (Francis Mwebesa) has instructed me to invite you to a meeting on Friday, July 26, at 10:00 am in the ministry’s boardroom to welcome Alex Kakooza, our new Permanent Secretary. Please ensure timely attendance.”

Kakooza’s previous roles include serving as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education until July 2021, followed by his position as Principal Private Secretary to the Vice-President in the President’s office.

Geraldine Ssali remains incarcerated at Luzira Prison awaiting for her trial at the High Court.

In October, 2023, the Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, suspended Ssali as the Ministry’s accounting officer on the recommendations of a Parliament inquiry into alleged acts of corruption at the Ministry.

Parliament had accused Ssali of failing to control the regularity and proper use of money appropriated to the vote for procurement of renovation works on offices used by the Ministry at Farmer’s House.

The House’s Trade Committee also accused Ssali of inflating the price of renovation works by Shs2 billion. However, President Museveni ordered the reinstatement of Ssali as the Accounting Officer of the Ministry of Trade.

Lucy Nakyobe, the Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, on October 26, 2023, wrote to Ggoobi asking him to “immediately reinstate” Ssali as the Accounting Officer for the Trade Ministry “as per the president’s directive.”

She would later be involved in petty fights at her workplace before being accused of corruption hence the sacking..