BREAKING! Mbale Court Jails 2 Senior Manafwa District Officials Over Shs1.6 Billion Fraud.

Betty Namono, the Principal Human Resources Officer, and Michael Bichacha, the former Chief Finance Officer in Court.

The Mbale High court has sentenced two senior Manafwa district officials to two years in prison and ordered them to pay back over 1.6 billion shillings lost in a fraud scandal.

The officials who were convicted on Thursday, 23rd October, 2025, are Betty Namono, the Principal Human Resources Officer, and Michael Bichacha, the former Chief Finance Officer.

According to Susan Awid, the Chief Magistrate who presided over the case, the two were found guilty of soliciting and obtaining money under false pretenses, amounting to over 1.6 billion shillings, from Duckhill Bank in Mbale city.

The court heard that the duo was instructed to pay back the money but failed, leading to their arrest and subsequent sentencing.

The court ruled that upon completing their prison sentences, Namono will pay 1.6 billion shillings to Duckhill Microfinance Bank, while Bichacha will pay 26 million shillings.

Awid emphasized that the sentence serves as a warning to other civil servants involved in corruption scandals.

The court granted the convicts 14 days to appeal the sentence if they so wish.