KANUNGU – The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has concluded its two-day investigative engagement in southwestern Uganda following a direct directive from the President over alleged extortion and irregular deductions affecting tea nursery bed operators.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The probe, which focused on grievances raised by farmers in Kanungu District, was held on Wednesday, June 3rd, at Kanungu District Rukiko Hall, and on Thursday, June 4th, in Kanyantorogo and Bwindi Sub-counties.
The engagements mark the end of this initial phase of the investigation, which has since expanded to include complaints from neighboring districts.
The controversy began when President Museveni, in a firm letter to the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, ordered an immediate halt to what he described as “crooks” extorting money from tea nursery growers.
The President’s directive, copied to the Inspector General of Government and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, named the law firm Pathways Advocates and its lead lawyers while demanding to know how they deduct 30% from farmers.
During the hearings, investigators heard harrowing testimonies from operators who claim they were forced to surrender 30% of their government disbursements as legal fees to Pathways Advocates.
Several operators, speaking anonymously, told the unit that they had no choice but to consent to the deductions after waiting for years for their government payments to be released.
Frank Byaruhanga, the Chairman of the South Western Association, confirmed before the unit that the 30% deduction was indeed agreed upon by the association. However, many operators present at the engagement disputed the validity of that agreement, stating they were never properly consulted.
Gad Tweheyo, a senior nursery bed operator, testified that after repeated unanswered calls to both the association chairman and Pathways Advocates, his tree plantation was taken as collateral by a SACCO that had loaned him money while he awaited his payment.
Other operators described mounting loan burdens and failed returns as they pleaded with President Museveni to scrap the 30% deduction or have the government pay the law firm directly to prevent further losses.
They also asked that future payments be channeled to their personal accounts, citing a total loss of trust in both their association representatives and the legal firm.
The outcry has spread far beyond Kanungu, with operators from Rubanda, Rukiga, Kabale, Kisoro, and Mitooma echoing the same complaints.
They accused Katabazi and some local representatives of deliberately withholding payments and called on the government to expand the probe to ensure justice for all affected farmers across the region.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit will submit a comprehensive formal findings dossier to President Museveni, who will determine the next course of action on broader policy reforms to protect tea nursery operators.
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