URA appoints new customs boss

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT  The Uganda Revenue Authority-URA board has appointed new commissioners to replace those fired in May 2020.

The appointments made after the August 26, 2020 sitting saw Abel Kagumire appointed as the commissioner customs. Kagumire had been acting in the position since early this year.

Richard Kariisa  has also been appointed the commissioner domestic taxes while John Tinka Katungwensi has been appointed assistant commissioner in charge of large taxpayers, according to a brief from the tax body.

The new appointments replace former commissioners Dickson Kateshumbwa, Henry Saka, and Silajji Kanyesigye who were fired in May. Kateshumbwa has since moved to stand for the Sheema Municipality Parliamentary seat.

President Yoweri Museveni later said after the 2020/21 budget address that the former URA commissioners were sacked because of corruption.

“There has been a lot of corruption in URA. That one, I have cleaned…wherever there is corruption, we shall get you like we cleared the URA crowd,” Museveni said.

The new appointments have been among URA’s senior staff. Kagumire was in customs, Kariisa in internal audit while Katungwensi was a tax administrator.

URA got a new commissioner general John Musinguzi Rujoki in March, replacing Doris Akol who had been head of the institution since 2015. 

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URN