The State House Anti-Corruption Unit, (SHACU) in liaison with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) have charged four Butambala District Officials for fuel theft, meant for road works under the 1 Billion maintenance grant.
The officials, including Jesica Naigembe, the Ag District Engineer, Joseph Wandera, Chief Financial Officer, Fred Muwaga, District Internal Auditor, and Charles Kizito Mukalazi, the Butambala district Local Government driver were arraigned before the Butambala Chief Magistrates Court.
According to SHACU, the accused officials collaborated with Kayinga Geoffrey, the Acting District Water Officer, who is still at large, to divert the fuel between June 2023 and April 2024.
The stolen fuel, originally intended for vital road construction, was instead either sold off or used for private purposes.
“Between June and April 2024, they misappropriated 80,000.86 liters of fuel, valued at UGX 431,447,400, meant for road works under the UGX 1 Billion Road Maintenance Grant,” SHACU stated.
The investigation revealed that Naigembe and Kayinga had inflated fuel requirements for various road projects.
“To cover up, the Engineers would then connive with different fuel station managers to falsify accountabilities, purporting to have issued the fuel to drivers under the Works Department for road works, which drivers denied having consumed,” SHACU noted.
Further investigations found that Joseph Wandera and Fred Muwaga, the Chief Financial Officer and District Internal Auditor, respectively, were guilty of failing to supervise the engineers, thus enabling the theft to continue unchecked.
“Joseph Wandera and Fred Muwaga are faulted for deliberately failing to supervise the engineers who were entrusted with the receipt and expenditure of the 1 Billion Road Maintenance Grant,” SHACU added.
CID investigations also revealed that both Wandera and Muwaga had benefited from the stolen fuel, irregularly consuming it for personal use, which worsened the breach of trust.
Naigembe, Wandera, Muwaga, and Mukalazi were remanded until July 28, 2025 as Kayinga Geoffrey remains at large.
