By Angel Lubowa
Court
A government official at the level of an Assistant Commissioner at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Eng. Asaph T. Abenaitwe, was left sweeting plasma after he was charged with abuse of office over the alleged irregular certification of more than Shs614 million in payments for road construction works in Isingiro District.
Abenaitwe, who previously served as the District Engineer and Project Manager for Isingiro District Local Government, was arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court following investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), working jointly with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
He denied the charges and court errored not but remanded him until October 15, 2026, as investigations and legal proceedings continue.
Prosecution indicate that Abenaitwe and other who are still at large allegedly committed the offence on various dates between 2022 and 2024, when he was responsible for engineering works and project management in Isingiro District.
The charge relates to Contract No. ISIN560/USMID WRKS/21-22/00001/Lot 1, which covered the construction of eight sealed roads measuring a combined 7.09 kilometres in Isingiro Town Council.
Prosecutors allege that Abenaitwe abused the authority of his office by certifying payments exceeding Shs614 million to M/S Prime Contractors Limited despite the alleged non-completion of the contracted works.
The prosecution further alleges that he certified the payments knowing that the required Taking-Over Certificate, Defects Liability Certificate and Final Completion Certificate had not been issued.
The alleged conduct is said to have been prejudicial to the interests of Isingiro District Local Government, which was his employer at the time.
The case adds to ongoing efforts by anti-corruption agencies to investigate suspected abuse of public office and strengthen accountability in local government institutions, particularly in the management of public infrastructure projects.
Abenaitwe’s arraignment comes amid the continued implementation of the Expose the Corrupt national campaign, spearheaded by Minister of State for Local Government Hon. Balaam Barugahara.
The campaign seeks to expose suspected corruption, promote transparency and hold public officials accountable for the management of government resources.
The proceedings are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the certification of the disputed payments and the extent to which the road construction contract was implemented.
