Uganda’s Ambassador to Kenya Kiguli remanded over Shs 494m loss

What the report says

Ugandan diplomat Herbert Kiguli, who serves as Uganda’s consul general in Mombasa, Kenya, has been remanded to Luzira Prison after appearing in the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala on allegations of causing a financial loss of Shs 494 million and abuse of office. The Observer reported that Kiguli, 49, denied the charges before principal magistrate Christopher Opit and was remanded until October 7 for a bail hearing.

According to the report, the prosecution says the alleged offences took place on November 9 and 10, 2020, when Kiguli was serving as commissioner for human resource management at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) in Entebbe. Investigators allege he signed requisitions worth Shs 614.768 million on behalf of Bukalasa Agricultural College’s principal, leading to the claimed loss of Shs 494.097 million.

The Inspectorate of Government says the money was not budgeted for by the college and that there was no valid memorandum of understanding between the college and MAAIF at the time. The funds were reportedly meant to support ministry activities disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions. The case is part of a broader inquiry into money released to Bukalasa Agricultural College and the Fisheries Training Institute during the lockdown.

The Observer’s report also notes that investigators previously examined wider allegations of misused funds, including spending on training, supplies and other activities that could not proceed during the pandemic. As a public corruption case involving a serving diplomat and former ministry official, it underscores continued scrutiny of emergency spending from the Covid-19 period.