Ugandan MPs Charged with Corruption and Fraud

Summary:

• Three Ugandan MPs from the ruling NRM party, Michael Mawanda Maranga, Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi, and Paul Akamba, have been charged with diverting public funds and conspiracy to defraud the government. They pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody. This action is part of President Yoweri Museveni’s crackdown on corruption among lawmakers.

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KAMPALA, (Examiner) – Three Ugandan legislators have been indicted on corruption-related charges, according to a charge sheet obtained by Reuters on Saturday. This development marks an extension of President Yoweri Museveni’s administration’s efforts to address widespread corruption among lawmakers.

MPs Michael Mawanda Maranga, Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi, and Paul Akamba were arraigned in court late Friday, facing charges of “diversion of public resources,” the charge sheet revealed.

All three legislators are members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

They pleaded not guilty and have been remanded in custody.

Theft and misuse of government funds are prevalent in Uganda, with critics often accusing Museveni of ignoring corruption by senior officials who are loyal to him and his party.

Prosecutors allege that the three MPs misappropriated approximately Ush3.4 billion ($908,605) for purposes unrelated to their intended use. Furthermore, they are accused of conspiring to defraud the government of Uganda, according to the charge sheet.

Caleb Alaka, one of the defense lawyers, argued in court that the suspects’ constitutional rights had been infringed upon.

Previously, Akamba had been charged with similar corruption-related offences and remanded, along with two other legislators. They were accused of attempting to persuade the chairperson of the state-funded Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to inflate the organisation’s 2024/25 (July-June) budget in exchange for a 20 percent share of the inflated budget.

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