4 Kotido officials arrested for stealing UGX 1bn road funds

Four Kotido Municipal Council officials have been arrested over alleged misappropriation of UGX 1 billion meant for road rehabilitation, with investigators citing embezzlement, neglect of duty and missing construction materials.

The Four Kotido Municipal Council officers arrested over alleged road funds misappropriation. (Photo/AntiGraft_SH)

Kotido, Uganda: Four senior officials of Kotido Municipal Council have been arrested over the alleged misappropriation of UGX 1 billion meant for road rehabilitation and maintenance within Kotido Municipality.

The arrests were carried out by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force in Kotido District.

These include: Okaja Emmanuel – Town Clerk, Okidi Gasper – Senior Civil Engineer, Akello Deo Nyanga – Senior Internal Auditor and Lokure John Bosco – Assistant Inventory Officer

According to preliminary investigations, the officials allegedly conspired to embezzle more than UGX 200 million earmarked for the procurement of construction materials for various roads during the 2024/2025 financial year.

Investigators say the missing materials included 1,735.7 trips of gravel, 250 bags of cement, 25 trips of hardcore and 10 trips of sand, which were paid for but either partially delivered or not delivered at all.

In addition, the Town Clerk and the Senior Civil Engineer are accused of neglect of duty, with investigators alleging they failed to supervise, monitor and enforce compliance with approved engineering and procurement guidelines during road works.

The roads affected by the alleged malpractice include Miresiae–Napawu Road, Morungor–Kotyanga Road, Nangayum–Kawlapei Road, Chairman’s Road, Business Road and Romrom–Nakutakuwam Road, all within Kotido Municipality.

Authorities say the suspects are expected to be arraigned before court as investigations continue into the broader handling of municipal infrastructure funds.

The arrests come amid intensified government efforts to crack down on corruption in local governments, particularly in infrastructure projects that directly affect service delivery to communities.