KAMPALA, UGANDA: 29 July 2026— Four top local government officials from Mbale District have been remanded by the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court following their arrest during a joint anti-graft operation led by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), the Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The arrests were carried out as part of the ongoing nationwide “Expose the Corrupt” campaign, spearheaded by the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, aimed at clamping down on extortion, mismanagement, and impunity within local government administrations.
The accused officials include: Dr. Wangisi Jonathan — District Health Officer (DHO), Khaukha Sam Paddy — District Education Officer (DEO), Walufu Asadi — District Inspector of Schools (DIS), and Nabiryo Betty Wamanga — Head Teacher, Nabumali Secondary School
Health Sector Mismanagement
Dr. Wangisi Jonathan faces charges of Abuse of Office and Corruption through Neglect of Duty. The court remanded him until August 4, 2026.
According to prosecution details, between 2023 and 2024, Dr. Wangisi allegedly abused his position by irregularly transferring health workers from multiple facilities across Mbale District to Busia Health Centre IV. Prosecutors assert these transfers were executed without consulting or securing required authorization from the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), violating public service deployment protocols.
The uncoordinated reassignments reportedly left several health centres severely understaffed, disrupting vital medical services for local communities. Dr. Wangisi is further accused of neglecting his core statutory responsibilities as DHO, failing to assess staffing requirements, track staff leave schedules, or coordinate balanced personnel deployments across the district.
Unlawful School Fees and Inspection Failures
In a related development, Ms. Nabiryo Betty Wamanga was charged with Abuse of Office, while education supervisors Mr. Khaukha Sam Paddy and Mr. Walufu Asadi face charges of Corruption through Neglect of Duty. All three were remanded until August 6, 2026.
Investigators allege that across the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 financial years, Ms. Nabiryo unlawfully levied additional school fees on students at Nabumali Secondary School in direct contravention of the Education Act and Universal Secondary Education (USE) policy frameworks, which prohibit unauthorized charges in government-aided institutions.
Meanwhile, the DEO, Mr. Khaukha, and the DIS, Mr. Walufu, are accused of abdicating their supervisory duties by failing to inspect and monitor educational facilities across Mbale District. Prosecutors contend that their lack of oversight allowed the illicit collection of fees to persist unchecked at Nabumali Secondary School and other government-aided schools in the region.
Nationwide Crackdown
The court appearance follows heightened enforcement activities under Minister Barugahara’s “Expose the Corrupt” initiative. Authorities have reiterated that joint operations between state anti-corruption bodies and security agencies will continue across all districts to ensure public funds and social services reach citizens without administrative abuse.
