Uganda: Court Remands Ambassador Over Sh494 Million Loss

What the report says

Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Court has remanded Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, the country’s Consul General in Mombasa, Kenya, to Luzira Prison after he was charged with abuse of office and causing a reported financial loss of 494 million shillings to the government. The case was heard in Kampala before Principal Magistrate Christopher Opit, and Kiguli denied the allegations. He is due back in court on October 7, 2026, for a bail application hearing.

According to the prosecution, the alleged conduct dates to November 2020, when Kiguli was serving as commissioner for human resource management at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in Entebbe. Investigators say he signed five requisitions totaling 614 million shillings on behalf of Bukalasa Agricultural College’s principal, and that the spending led to the cited loss.

The Inspectorate of Government says the money had not been budgeted for by the college and was not covered by a valid memorandum of understanding between the college and the ministry. It said the funds were meant to support ministry activities disrupted by COVID-19 restrictions. The case appears tied to broader scrutiny of public money released during the lockdown to agricultural institutions, including Bukalasa Agricultural College and the Fisheries Training Institute. In a general sense, anti-corruption cases involving emergency spending have drawn attention in Uganda because of concerns over weak controls and recovery of misused funds.