On Monday, Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, 59, appeared before Principal Magistrate Christopher Opit at the Anti-Corruption Court, where charges of causing a financial loss and abuse of office were read and explained to him. Kiguli denied the allegations. The court remanded him until October 7, 2026, at midday, when he is expected to return for the hearing of his bail application. The Ambassador was earlier arrested by the Inspectorate of Government (IG).
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences were committed on November 9 and 10, 2020, when Kiguli was serving as Commissioner for Human Resource Management at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) in Entebbe. The prosecution alleges that Kiguli originated and signed, on behalf of the principal of Bukalasa Agricultural College, five requisitions amounting to sh614million. The transactions allegedly resulted in a financial loss of sh494million to the Government.
The Inspectorate of Government (IG) alleges that the funds had not been budgeted for nor anticipated by Bukalasa Agricultural College and that there was no valid Memorandum of Understanding governing the financial relationship between the college and MAAIF at the time. The money was reportedly intended to facilitate various MAAIF activities that could not take place because of restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case is believed to be linked to wider investigations into the alleged misuse of funds released by MAAIF to Bukalasa Agricultural College and the Fisheries Training Institute in Entebbe during the COVID-19 lockdown. Reports from 2020 indicated that MAAIF had released about UGX 10.2 billion to the institutions in instalments for activities that could not be undertaken because of the lockdown.
Investigators raised concerns over payments described as being for the settlement of students’ feeding bills, despite students being at home during the lockdown. Some officials were further alleged to have withdrawn portions of the funds and used them for purposes including purchasing private land in prime locations. The IG previously said that some MAAIF and Bukalasa Agricultural College officials admitted wrongdoing and agreed to refund misappropriated funds.
The Inspectorate of Government was represented in court by Principal Inspectorate Officer William Moses Ntumwa and Inspectorate Officers Milly Namuwanga and Jennifer Katusime. In a statement, the IG reiterated its commitment to protecting public resources and urged public officers to comply with financial regulations when executing their duties.
The IG is pursuing recovery measures for the misappropriated funds. Kiguli's case will continue on October 7, 2026, with the hearing of his bail application.
Key points
- The Anti-Corruption Court has remanded Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa, Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, to Luzira Prison over allegations of causing a financial loss of sh494 million to the Government and abuse of office.
- The case is linked to wider investigations into the alleged misuse of funds released by MAAIF to Bukalasa Agricultural College and the Fisheries Training Institute in Entebbe during the COVID-19 lockdown.
- Approximately shillings 8.7 billion had been misappropriated from the funds released by MAAIF.
