Kampala, Uganda | URN | The arrest and remand of seven senior Parliament officials on corruption-related charges has attracted a mixed reaction.
Some politicians, activists and members of the public welcomed the development, while others urged that the IGG should cast her net wider to catch the big fish in Parliament.
Among the first political leaders to react was National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, who said the arrests underscored how corruption continues to deprive Ugandans of essential public services.
“Indeed, Uganda is not a poor country. There is no money for medical interns, no money to fix roads, no money to buy equipment for hospitals, no money to build classrooms. But there is always money to be stolen in this manner,” Rubongoya posted on X.
He argued that if Uganda was genuinely committed to fighting corruption, whistleblowers who first exposed the alleged misuse of parliamentary funds should be publicly recognised rather than vilified.
Rubongoya singled out journalists and activists Agathar Atuhair, Jim Spire Ssentongo and Godwin Toko, saying they endured sustained attacks after publishing details of alleged payments running into billions of shillings to parliamentary officials.
“The same facts they revealed are now appearing in court documents,” he said, adding that despite continued harassment, the whistleblowers had ultimately been vindicated.
A dominant theme in the public reaction was the absence of the Clerk to Parliament and Accounting Officer, Adolf Mwesige, among those charged.
Political commentator Frank Mwesigye argued on X that the accounting officer should have been the first person investigated.
“The Clerk to Parliament is the Accounting Officer of Parliament. Arresting junior officers while leaving the person ultimately responsible in office completely unbothered is like washing your clothes and then throwing them back into the mud,” he said.
He called for impartial investigations, saying accountability should not depend on political affiliation.
“Whether someone supports the NRM, PLU or any other political affiliation, no one involved in corruption should be spared.”
Former Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba raised similar questions on X.
“Where is the Clerk to Parliament, the accounting officer of Parliament, in all this? Did these individuals grab these public funds from the streets? How did these funds leave the bank accounts? Who signed them off?” he asked.
Former Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) Secretary General Daudi Kabanda also called for investigations to be widened to include Members of Parliament who allegedly benefited from controversial service awards.
“Even those who received the service award have to be picked,” Kabanda wrote.
Some Civil society actors also described the arrests as evidence that sustained public pressure against corruption had begun to bear fruit.
Political activist Norah Kobusigye said the prosecutions followed nearly two years of public mobilisation against alleged corruption in Parliament.
“It took two years, but it finally paid off. The march to Parliament and sustained online and offline advocacy against corruption have begun to yield results,” she posted on X.
“It’s not enough, and there’s still a long way to go, but this is worth acknowledging and celebrating.”
The seven officials, including Parliament Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore, were on Thursday remanded to Luzira Prison until July 7, 2026, after appearing before Grade One Magistrate Esther Asiimwe at the Anti-Corruption Court.
The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) charged the officials with embezzlement, causing financial loss to government and money laundering, saying the prosecutions demonstrate its commitment to enforcing accountability in public office.
In a statement released after the court appearance, the Inspectorate said it remained “unwavering” in its resolve to uphold the rule of law.
“Through decisive action against the misuse of public resources, the Inspectorate continues to strengthen integrity in public service and reinforce the principle that no individual is above the law,” the IGG said.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors accuse Chris Obore of embezzling 5.253 billion shillings, Adilo Daniel 14.609 billion shillings, Leonard Okema 3.489 billion shillings, Rajab Kaaya Ssemalulu 2.170 billion shillings, Emmanuel Emuron Okwi 1.105 billion shillings, and Stella Itute, who didn’t appear in court because she was hospitalized by the time of arrest, of mismanaging 75 million shillings and Vincent Otebata 5.253 billion shillings.
The prosecution alleges the money belonged to Parliament and was accessed by the accused by virtue of their respective offices.
Court documents further state that, with the exception of Methods Murebe, the accused allegedly received funds intended for Parliament’s donations and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes but failed to implement the activities, resulting in a financial loss of Shillings 27.201 billion to the Government.
Prosecutors also allege that between January 2023 and April 2026, six of the accused processed, approved and received Shs10.893 billion, knowing the money constituted proceeds of crime, forming the basis of the money laundering charges.
The arrests mark the most significant criminal action yet arising from investigations into the management of Parliament following the controversy surrounding multi-billion-shilling service awards, donations and corporate social responsibility expenditures that attracted nationwide criticism.
The allegations first gained prominence after whistleblowers, journalists and civil society activists published documents detailing payments made to parliamentary officials and legislators. Their disclosures sparked months of public debate, online campaigns and demands for criminal investigations.
The controversy intensified scrutiny of Parliament’s financial management during the tenure of former Speaker Anita Among, whose administration came under sustained criticism over expenditure and governance decisions.
Although the latest charges relate to individual officials and no court has found Among criminally liable, the investigations have kept Parliament at the centre of Uganda’s anti-corruption agenda.
Although some sources indicate that the files for the Clerk to Parliament and other top officials, including the former Speaker of Parliament, are being prepared, Ali Munira, the IGG’s spokesperson, neither denied nor admitted the progress when contacted.
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