What began as whispers in court corridors has now exploded into a full-blown scandal threatening to unravel the very foundation of Uganda’s justice system.
Today, the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala resumes hearings in a high-stakes trial that pits two senior judicial officers against a barrage of corruption charges.
At the center of the storm is Sylvia Nvanungi, once the stern face of justice at Mitooma and Sembabule Chief Magistrate’s Courts. Alongside her in the dock is Jackline Bako, a state attorney formerly stationed at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The two women, who once wielded the power to detain, prosecute, and grant bail, now stand accused of selling that very power to the highest bidder.
According to prosecutors, the scandal first came to light in April 2023, when a suspicious exchange involving shs2.5 million was reported.
Nvanungi allegedly approached a man named John Ambasize, a relative of a detainee, with a chilling proposition: pay the bribe, and the bail process for his jailed kin would be “expedited.”
The gravity of the accusation sent ripples through judicial circles, but it was only the beginning.
The prosecutor’s price
As investigators dug deeper, a pattern began to emerge. All signs pointed to State Attorney Jackline Bako, whose name kept surfacing in whispered conversations among lawyers and suspects.
On April 12, 2023, Bako allegedly demanded shs2.5 million from Zedekai Karinti inside her office, an offer cloaked in legal terms but unmistakable in intent: pay up, or stay locked up.
But Karinti’s ordeal didn’t end there. In another alleged incident the same day, Bako accepted shs1.4 million from Franco Mulangwa, the price, prosecutors say, for Karinti’s continued freedom.
By May 2022, the bribe requests had grown bolder. Bako allegedly demanded a staggering shs10 million from Karinti in exchange for erasing his name from a criminal file involving attempted murder, criminal trespass, and malicious property damage.
Investigators now believe Bako accepted shs7 million in what appeared to be a successful effort to drop the charges, at least temporarily.
Another victim, Eric Sabiti, reportedly faced a similar offer in March and April 2023. With a looming attempted murder charge hanging over his head, Sabiti was allegedly asked for shs2 million in exchange for bail, a deal he claims he refused.
Justice on Trial
Today’s court session, presided over by Chief Magistrate Rachael Nakyazze, is expected to feature explosive testimony. Among the witnesses is Karinti himself, whose appearance could either shatter the accused’s defense or deepen the ambiguity surrounding their guilt.
Both Nvanungi and Bako have denied all charges and are currently out on bail.
Their defense teams argue that the allegations are based on weak testimonies, incomplete investigations, and personal vendettas.
But the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo, has made it clear: corruption within the ODPP will not be tolerated. “No one is above the law,” she warned, “especially those entrusted to uphold it.”
If convicted under Section 2 of the Anti-Corruption Act, the accused could face up to 10 years in prison, fines of up to Shs4.8 million, or both.
But beyond the legal penalties, the real cost may be public trust in a system designed to protect, not exploit.
As court resumes and the accused face justice in the very place they once ruled, one question lingers: When justice is for sale, who protects the innocent?
