Bukwo RDC recalled after Balaam anti-corruption visit to Sebei

What the report says

Bukwo District Resident District Commissioner George Owany has been recalled to the Office of the President with immediate effect, following allegations that he sought money from SACCO leaders and amid wider concerns about how some government projects in the district were being handled. The Independent Uganda reported that the recall was communicated in a letter dated August 27, 2026, signed by Office of the President secretary Haji Kakande Yunus, instructing Owany to report for consultations and hand over daily duties to the deputy RDC.

The development came after Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi ordered Owany to step aside and be arrested on Thursday, then handed him over to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for investigation. According to the report, Barugahara accused the RDC of working with some SACCO leaders to solicit one million shillings from each of 109 SACCOs in Bukwo, a total of 109 million shillings. He also directed that Owany’s phone be surrendered to investigators.

The article also says the RDC faces scrutiny over alleged commissioning of government projects without district council approval and without the expected review of bills of quantities. Those concerns have not been independently established, and the outcome of the investigations remains pending.

More broadly, the case reflects Kampala’s continued pressure on local officials over corruption and accountability. In background, RDCs are presidential appointees tasked with monitoring government programmes and oversight at district level, which makes allegations against one of them politically sensitive.