The Anti-Corruption Court has sentenced Francis Ateng, the former Principal Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Lands’ Lira Zonal Office, to three years’ imprisonment for a series of corruption-related offenses involving the illegal sale of Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) land.
Ateng was convicted on Tuesday, 25th October, 2025, on eleven counts including abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, forgery, uttering false documents, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
According to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the offenses date back to January 2018, when Ateng, while serving at the Ministry of Lands in Lira District, exploited his position to arrange the irregular sale of URC land.
Court records reveal that Ateng and his accomplices orchestrated the illegal issuance of a special certificate of title for the URC land. They subdivided and allocated the property, identified private buyers through brokers, and sold the land unlawfully, all without following the legal procedures required for the disposal of government assets.
One of his co-accused, Joseph Ocen, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to two years in prison.
This prosecution follows a 2022 directive by President Yoweri Museveni, instructing the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to investigate and prosecute corruption within the Uganda Railways Corporation, particularly targeting illegal land sales and encroachments.
The conviction of Ateng is the latest in a string of successful prosecutions arising from the presidential directive to recover and protect public land nationwide.
His sentencing shows the government’s determination to fight corruption and safeguard public resources.
By holding officials accountable for the unlawful disposal of government land, authorities send a strong warning that abuse of office and fraudulent schemes will not be tolerated, strengthening public confidence in Uganda’s anti-corruption initiatives and the rule of law.
