SECRETS EXPOSED! How fight over UN Agriculture Fund’s Sh30bn landed Hongera Sana boss in trouble

Ashraf Muyomba the Director Hongera Saana Uganda, Office of the President

A bitter scramble for billions from a United Nations agriculture fund has landed the national coordinator of Hongera Sana Uganda in serious trouble, exposing deep cracks within Uganda’s security establishment and raising troubling questions about the use of intelligence agencies in civilian programmes.

Hongera Sana — a Swahili phrase meaning “big congratulations” — was unveiled as a national initiative under the Office of the President to combat violent extremism. But barely a year later, the organisation is at the centre of a scandal involving arrests, missing billions, disputed vehicles, and official denials of its very existence.

In early December 2025, Hongera Sana’s national coordinator, Ashirafuh Muyomba, was arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and charged with 24 counts related to forgery and uttering false documents to suppliers.

The charges carried a shocking revelation.

“Investigations further revealed that Hongera Saana Uganda had no affiliation or relationship with the Office of the President,” the Anti-Corruption Unit stated — directly contradicting how the organisation publicly presented itself.

Muyomba was detained for nine days, shuttled between police stations and courts, before eventually being granted bond on December 23. He alleges he was beaten during arrest and that investigators seized files, CCTV footage, phones, an iPad and Shs150 million in cash.

Hongera Sana was officially launched on February 26, 2025, at Fairway Hotel, Kampala, before opening offices in Ntinda two months later — offices guarded by armed soldiers.

The launch was officiated by AIGP David Wasswa Ssengendo, Director of Counter Terrorism at Police, alongside senior officers from the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and other security agencies.

Director Counter Terrorism Uganda Police Force AIGP David Wasswa Ssengendo opening the offices of Hongera Saana Uganda

Muslim clerics dominated the event, with radicalism reform advocate Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga preaching disengagement from violent extremism.

From there, Hongera Sana rolled out countrywide outreach programmes — distributing agricultural inputs, food relief, boda boda GPS trackers, youth empowerment packages and health support — all branded under national security messaging.

ISO Director General Arthur Mugenyi later denied knowledge of Hongera Sana.

“I don’t know it. I heard about it from the Anti-Corruption Unit,” Mugenyi said.

Intelligence sources told this publication that Hongera Sana’s operations flourished during the tenure of the late ISO boss Charles Oluka, and that the current leadership may be distancing itself from decisions made before their time.

Correspondences show engagement with Police, the Office of the President and the Ministry of Agriculture — including requests for tax exemptions on donated supplies.

IFAD Billions at the Heart of the Storm

Speaking after his release on bail, Muyomba claimed the real battle was never about forgery — but about money and control.

He alleges that over Shs30 billion from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was earmarked for Hongera Sana activities but never reached the organisation’s accounts.

“That is where the trouble started,” Muyomba said, accusing senior security officers of diverting funds and attempting to force preferred suppliers onto the programme.

A bigger question remains: Where did the IFAD billions go?

He further claimed Hongera Sana offices were used to funnel hundreds of millions of shillings to opposition MPs and that when he questioned the activities, attempts were made to oust him and replace staff with relatives of powerful officials.

“They started using our offices to meet opposition Members of Parliament and gave them large sums of money between 200 and 300 million shillings each,” he said, naming some MPs from Kampala, Wakiso, Mpigi and Bukomansimbi.

Another mystery surrounds a Ford double-cabin pickup (UA 682AN) bought to support operations but now unaccounted for. It is reportedly in the hands of a senior security officer’s relative.

A letter from Motorcare addressed to the Office of the President shows payment of USD 49,500 (about Shs179m) for the vehicle remains unpaid.

AIGP David Wasswa Ssengendo, the Director Counter Terrorism, acknowledged that the counter-terrorism unit and other security agencies had agreed to work with Hongera. “We agreed to work with Hongera because of the role they played in the PCVE function.” he said.

AIGP Wasswa added that through the partnership, they registered some successes in reaching out to vulnerable populations prone to recruitment into violent extremism, noting that such organizations proved to be a critical missing link in efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism and terrorism.

He explained that while security agencies focused on community outreach and dialogue, affected communities often required more tangible support. “We would handle the community engagement,” he said. “This we have been doing, but most of the affected people need more support than just talking to them. That is where Hongera could come in, by supporting the economic side.”

The economic support involved assisting individuals identified by security agencies, was by provision of agricultural inputs, basic household supplies and other livelihood support. However, he added that the police had never directly funded Hongera, as there was no such budget allocation in Uganda Police Force.

Muslim Leaders at the launch of Hongera Saana Uganda in Ntinda Kampala

From the information available to Wasswa, Hongera’s activities were funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which was meant to finance the inputs distributed to groups identified as vulnerable to recruitment into violent extremism activities including terrorism.

Wasswa, however, said he was unaware of any further details and declined to comment on the allegations raised by Muyomba. He explained that his engagement with Hongera was strictly limited to PCVE-related activities and that he had no knowledge of the organization’s operations beyond that mandate. He added that he was surprised by the recent developments surrounding the group and its national coordinator and his arrest.

As investigations continue, the Hongera Sana saga exposes a murky intersection of security, money, politics and power — one that may yet claim more high-profile casualties.