KABALE, UGANDA – Three high-ranking Kabale Municipal leaders, including the district speaker, have been arrested and charged with the theft of 65,095,000 UGX from the Kabale Municipality elected leaders’ Emyooga SACCO.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The individuals in custody have been identified as Mwesigwa Ignatius, 38, the District Speaker for Southern Division and the SACCO’s Chairperson; Akatukunda Susan Abby, 44, a Councilor for Southern Division and the Secretary of the SACCO; and the group’s Treasurer, Tumwakire Francis, 45.
The trio was arrested on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, for allegedly siphoning 65,095,000 UGX from the SACCO’s Centenary Bank account.
The alleged theft, which spanned 18 months from March 2023 to September 2024, was uncovered by other SACCO members who discovered the massive shortfall on November 4, 2024.
The Kigezi Police spokesperson, ASP Elly Maate, told the press the SACCO members confronted the group’s chairperson, Akatukunda Susan Abby, who subsequently reported the matter to Kabale Central Police Station (CPS).
“Upon receiving the complaint, our team initiated a comprehensive investigation. Statements were recorded from relevant witnesses, and crucial documents were retrieved from the SACCO. A bank statement was also obtained, which clearly showed the questionable transactions,” stated Maate.
Maate confirmed that a decisive forensic analysis of withdrawal slips and signatures resulted in a damning report that formed the basis for the 29 theft counts sanctioned by the Resident State Attorney.
The trio is currently in police custody, pending their court appearance and plea on 29 counts representing the individual transactions used to steal the funds.
The arrest of elected officials in this case has eroded public trust and shocked the Kabale community, raising serious questions about the management of the Emyooga initiative, even as police promise a thorough prosecution.
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