District engineers released on Police bond

Rubanda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Four district engineers from the Kigezi region accused of abuse of office have been released on police bond.

The suspects are: Denis Twesigwomwe, Rubanda district engineer, David Otika, Rubanda district Water Officer, and Spencer Ngabirano, town engineer Ryakarimira town council in Kabale District and Eric Sivaseya Mutumba, Senior Kanungu district engineer.

They were arrested on Tuesday by officials from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit led by Fatimah Namukwaya, the deputy director of anti-corruption operations under the Internal Security Organization (ISO).

Twesigwomwe is accused of authorizing payments to Ricky Construction Company, which had been contracted to construct a structure worth 500 million Shillings at Mpungu Health Center III in Hamurwa town council during the 2019/2020/2021 financial year.

But, the building developed cracks before the handover. Twesigwomwe is also accused of ignoring the installation of a substandard solar system by the same contractor.

Otika is accused of failing to explain how a stalled 6.2 billion Shillings Bushura water supply project was implemented in Hamuhambo town council and Bubaare sub-county, Rubanda district, during the 2019/2020 financial year when the district lacked the necessary funding.

The project was halted after the district had already invested 677 million Shillings. Ngabiranio is accused of turning a blind eye when the Assistant Town Clerk, Alex Ampeire, embezzled approximately 414.28 million Shillings in government funds and subsequently fled to China.

Ngabiranio is also alleged to have sanctioned the expenditure of 60 million Shillings on roofing condemned staff houses pending demolition.

Mariam Natasha, State House Anti-Corruption Unit Communications Officer, and Elly Maate, police spokesperson for Kigezi region said that the suspects were released on police bond on Thursday after presenting substantial sureties.

Maate said that investigations into the matter are still ongoing.

*****

URN