Nearly 1,000 Corruption Suspects Arraigned Since 2018, State House Unit Says

The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) says it has facilitated the arraignment of 946 corruption suspects before court since its establishment in 2018, resulting in 160 convictions as the government intensifies efforts to tackle graft in public institutions. The figures were revealed by the Unit’s Deputy Head, Israel Ochwo, during an appearance on NBS Television’s Morning Breeze programme on Tuesday, where he outlined the Unit’s achievements and ongoing efforts to combat corruption.

Ochwo described corruption as one of the biggest obstacles to Uganda’s economic transformation, saying the Unit remains committed to supporting government efforts to eliminate the vice. He said SH-ACU works in collaboration with other anti-corruption agencies, including the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and other stakeholders, rather than competing with them.

According to Ochwo, the Unit has investigated and supported the prosecution of cases involving senior public officials from institutions including the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Local Government and other government ministries. He dismissed claims that SH-ACU only targets low-ranking officials, saying its investigations have focused on cases with significant public impact.

On investigations into alleged corruption in Parliament, Ochwo said the matters remain under investigation by the relevant agencies and declined to comment further, citing the ongoing nature of the inquiries. Regarding the recovery of stolen public funds, he explained that although SH-ACU does not have a direct asset recovery mandate, it works closely with the Asset Recovery Unit in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and other partner agencies to trace and recover proceeds of corruption.

Ochwo also credited the Inter-Agency Forum against Corruption, chaired by the Minister of Ethics and Integrity, with improving coordination among anti-corruption agencies through better information sharing, reduced duplication of investigations and stronger joint action. Beyond investigations and prosecutions, he said the government is strengthening the fight against corruption through digital reforms, including the adoption of electronic government systems aimed at improving transparency, enhancing accountability and making it easier to detect the misuse of public resources.

He said the Unit would continue prioritising corruption cases with the greatest public impact in line with the government’s anti-corruption agenda.