Uganda’s anti-corruption authorities have expanded a high-profile investigation into the country’s Parliament, with seven senior parliamentary officials remanded in custody after being charged with embezzlement, money laundering and related offences, deepening scrutiny of the management of public funds within the legislature.
The officials appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court after being arrested by the Inspectorate of Government (IG), Uganda’s constitutional anti-graft agency. They include Parliament’s Director of Communications, Chris Obore, Director of Human Resource Adilo Daniel, Executive Secretary in the Office of the Speaker Okema Leonard, Principal Research Officer Rajab Kaaya Ssemalulu, Principal Protocol Officer Okwi Emmanuel Emuron, Capacity Development Officer Otebata Vincent and Uganda Parliamentary Cooperative Savings and Credit Society (SACCO) Chief Executive Officer Murebe Methods.
Prosecutors allege the accused participated in the embezzlement of public funds and the laundering of proceeds from the alleged scheme.
The Inspectorate of Government has not publicly disclosed the full particulars of the charges, saying details of the prosecution’s case will be presented during the court proceedings.
The Anti-Corruption Court ordered all seven accused to remain in custody until July 7, 2026, when they are scheduled to return for further proceedings as investigations continue.
The remand order followed the formal reading of charges, with the court postponing consideration of issues related to bail and the prosecution’s evidence until the next hearing.
The arrests mark one of the most significant developments in an investigation that has placed Uganda’s Parliament under sustained public and political scrutiny over the past two years. Authorities have been examining allegations of abuse of office, irregular expenditure and the alleged misuse of public resources, prompting investigations by multiple state oversight agencies.
The widening inquiry has also focused attention on the administration of former Speaker Anita Among, although she has not been convicted of any criminal offence.
The investigations have examined procurement processes, recruitment practices, staff welfare programmes and the management of parliamentary finances, including funds linked to the parliamentary savings and credit cooperative.
The detention of senior administrative and technical officials signals that investigators are extending the probe beyond elected politicians to those responsible for Parliament’s day-to-day operations and financial administration. The case also reflects Uganda’s broader anti-corruption drive, which has seen prosecutors increasingly target senior public officials accused of mismanaging state resources.
The Anti-Corruption Court has in recent years heard a growing number of cases involving ministers, senior civil servants, local government officials and heads of public institutions, as authorities seek to strengthen accountability over the use of taxpayers’ money.
