TOP STORY!! Biggest Corruption Scandals In The History Of Uganda, Why They Will Never Be Forgotten

Uganda has faced several serious corruption scandals over the years. These scandals involved large sums of public money, high-ranking government officials, and major projects meant to help citizens. Below are some of the most well-known cases.

1. Global Fund Scandal (2008)

This scandal involved money meant to buy medicines for malaria and tuberculosis. The Global Fund, an international organization that fights diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, had sent money to Uganda to help with these health problems.

At the time of the investigation, it was found that at least $10 million (about 25 billion Ugandan shillings) was missing. Some sources said the amount could have been as high as $37 million (about 95.8 billion shillings).

The money was mismanaged through a special team in the Ministry of Health called the Project Management Unit (PMU). This team was responsible for managing the Global Fund money, but they gave it to about 400 private organizations—many of which didn’t really exist. The team also paid themselves very high salaries and gave themselves large, undocumented allowances.

Some government officials were connected to the scandal, including the former Health Minister Jim Muhwezi and his deputies Mike Mukula and Alex Kamugisha. While many were cleared by the courts, Mukula was found to have a case to answer.

Others who were jailed include Teddy Cheeye, a former economic affairs director in the President’s Office, and Fred Kavuma, who had worked at Uganda Television. They served time in Luzira Prison.

The Global Fund had started in 2002 and had given out over $5.1 billion to more than 130 countries to help fight major diseases. The loss of funds in Uganda damaged trust in how the country managed health aid.

2. CHOGM Scandal (2007, revealed in 2011)

This scandal was about the misuse of money meant to organize the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Uganda in 2007. In 2011, it came to light that several government officials had misused billions of shillings during preparations for this international event.

Parliament had approved sh270 billion for CHOGM, but the Auditor General found that over sh370 billion had been spent. After more investigations, it was discovered that the total spending may have reached sh500 billion.

Some of the officials implicated included:

Gilbert Bukenya, former Vice-President

John Nasasira, former Works Minister

Mwesigwa Rukutana and Isaac Musumba, both ministers

John Byabagambi, then State Minister for Works

The investigation revealed problems like irregular procurement (buying without proper process), wasteful spending on cars, poor planning in road construction, and questionable renovations at Entebbe Airport.

Several officials said they were following orders from Prof. Bukenya, who chaired the CHOGM planning committee. Bukenya was accused of influencing a sh19 billion car deal. However, he was later cleared by the courts.

3. Valley Dam Scandal

In this case, a large amount of money was used to build valley dams—structures meant to collect and store water in dry areas.

One example was the Nyarubungo Valley Dam in Mbarara district. This dam cost sh800 million, but it never held any water. When Minister John Nasasira visited the dam in 2006, he criticized the project, saying, “How can you give thirsty people a pot without water?”

The dam had been built during the time when Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe was Vice-President and also served as Minister of Agriculture. She was blamed for wasting nearly sh3 billion that was meant for valley dams across the country.

Kazibwe denied any wrongdoing, but officials said the Nyarubungo dam was built in the wrong place—with no water sources nearby. Nasasira recommended that the dam be moved to a better location.

4. Temangalo Land Scandal (2008)

This scandal involved the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), which is responsible for saving and investing money for workers’ retirement.

In 2008, reports showed that Amama Mbabazi, who was the Security Minister at the time (and later became Prime Minister), sold land in Temangalo to NSSF for sh11 billion. The land was 414 acres, with each acre sold at sh24 million.

Investigations showed that this price was much higher than the real market value. Independent valuers had estimated the land to be worth between sh14 million and sh18 million per acre.

The Parliamentary Committee that investigated the deal found that Mbabazi used his influence to push NSSF into buying his land. He and Finance Minister Ezra Suruma were found to have broken the Leadership Code, which sets rules for ethical behavior by public officials.

5. National ID Scandal (2010)

In 2010, the Ugandan government signed a deal with a German company called Mühlbauer High Tech to supply and install machines for making National Identity Cards. These IDs were important because they were supposed to help identify voters for the 2011 elections.

However, the deal had many problems. The company was given the contract without a competitive bidding process, which goes against the law. Also, although the government borrowed over sh150 billion to finance the project, only 400 ID cards were produced.

The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) later found that the project had caused a financial loss of sh19 billion.

Some of the top officials accused of being involved were:

Kiddu Makubuya, former Minister for General Duties

Kirunda Kivejinja, former Internal Affairs Minister

Steven Kagoda, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government

These scandals show the damage caused when public officials misuse money meant for important services like health, infrastructure, and national identification. While some people were punished, many were not, and in some cases, the money has never been recovered. Corruption continues to be a major concern in Uganda.