Five members of parliament have been arrested on corruption charges, casting a shadow over the nation’s legislative body. Nearly a month ago, MPs Cissy Namujju (Lwengo Woman), Yusuf Mutemebuli (Bunyole East), and Paul Akamba (Busiki County) were taken into custody. Recently, MPs Michael Mawanda (Igara East) and Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi (Elgon County) joined them, facing charges related to the misuse of cooperative societies’ compensation funds.

The corruption charges follow a damning report by the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Tourism, Trade, and Industry. Chaired by MP Mwine Mpaka Rwamirama of Mbarara City South Division, the committee’s investigation into the governance and value for money of budgetary appropriations to cooperatives uncovered extensive corruption involving several senior government officials and MPs from both the opposition and the ruling National Resistance Movement.

Published in October 2023, the 210-page report prompted the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the police’s Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to launch further investigations. Speaker Annet Anita Among referred the report to the police, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), and the DPP for further action.

The investigation has implicated numerous high-profile individuals, with state minister for Cooperatives, Fredrick Ngobi Gume, at the center of the scandal. Gume is accused of pressuring cooperatives to hire specific law firms to process their compensation claims, with some firms charging up to 50% of the compensation received. Cooperatives that complied were paid promptly, while those that resisted faced delays.

Key instances of corruption highlighted in the report include:

• West Acholi Cooperative Union: Forced to hire Century Advocates, which charged 50% of the compensation.
• North Bukedi Cooperative Union Limited: Pressured to pay 50% of their compensation to Gume, receiving only a fraction of the verified amount.
• East Acholi Cooperative Union Ltd: Compelled to hire M/S Odonga Otto & Co. Advocates, losing 30% of their compensation to legal fees.

The report also implicates the late former speaker of parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, who allegedly demanded Shs 300 million from East Acholi Cooperative Union for their compensation.

Further, Gen Salim Saleh and an individual named Lubega were paid Shs 1 billion from Banyankore Kweterana Cooperative Society’s compensation for loan repayment.

Several MPs, including Michael Mawanda, Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi, Ann Maria Nankabirwa, John Musila, Geoffrey Ekanya, Maxwell Akora, and Elijah Okupa, are named in the report for their roles in the scandal. They are accused of forcing cooperatives to hire specific lawyers, failing to account for compensation funds, and other corrupt practices.

As investigations continue and more individuals are likely to face prosecution, the scandal has raised serious concerns about corruption within the government and the misuse of public funds meant to support cooperative societies.