The Director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Engineer James Nkamwesiga Kasigwa, has petitioned the High Court in Kampala to halt the implementation of directives issued by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Francis Mwebesa, ordering his investigation and subsequent forced leave.
Kasigwa is seeking a temporary injunction restraining the Minister and his agents or any persons acting on his authority from enforcing two directives issued by the Minister in September and October 2025.
According to court documents, the first directive, dated September 30, 2025, instructed the Chairperson of the UNBS Board to investigate Kasigwa over alleged misconduct, insubordination, and abuse of office.
The second directive, issued on October 7, 2025, required him to proceed on one month’s forced leave effective October 15, pending the outcome of Judicial Review Case No. 0044 of 2025, which he had earlier filed challenging the same directives.
“I write with reference to the task which I recently assigned to the National Standards Council, directing it to assess the validity, authenticity, and significance of the various allegations levelled against you regarding insubordination, misconduct, impropriety, mismanagement, and corruption,” Mwebesa stated in his letter.
The Minister added that to facilitate the Council’s work, including conducting inquiries, hearings, and witness interviews, Kasigwa should take his 30 working days of annual leave effective mid-October.
However, in his affidavit supporting the application, Kasigwa argues that the directives are unlawful, irrational, and procedurally improper, having been issued outside the legal framework of the UNBS Act and related regulations. He contends that the investigation violates the rules of natural justice, since the Minister, who initiated the probe, is both the complainant and final decision-maker in the matter.
“This makes the Honourable Minister an accuser, prosecutor, and judge in his own cause,” Kasigwa stated.
He further argues that the National Standards Council, which was tasked to conduct the investigation, lacks independence, as its members were recently appointed by the same Minister, who also holds the power to dismiss them. This, he says, compromises the impartiality of the process.
Kasigwa also challenges the legality of his forced leave, asserting that the Minister has no authority under the UNBS Act to suspend or interdict the Director. That power, he notes, rests solely with the National Standards Council acting in accordance with established disciplinary procedures.
The application further highlights that the allegations against him, including financial impropriety, corruption, and abuse of office, are criminal in nature and should have been referred to independent bodies such as the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) or the Office of the Auditor General. By directing the Council to conduct the probe, Kasigwa argues, the Minister acted unreasonably and outside the bounds of the law.
He warns that enforcing the directives would cause him irreparable harm, including reputational damage and potential loss of employment, and would render his judicial review moot. He therefore prays that the court maintain the status quo until it determines the legality of the Minister’s actions.
The matter came up today before Justice Joyce Kavuma of the High Court’s Civil Division. During the session, Assistant Commissioner for Civil Litigation Peter Masaba, representing the Attorney General, informed the court that he had come across a letter in which the Minister had purportedly rescinded his directives.
Masaba requested time to verify the authenticity of the letter before updating the court on Kasigwa’s status. UNBS was represented by Lawyers Lydia Kyakuwa and Doreen Nasimbwa, while Counsel Ebert Byenkya appeared for the applicant.
Following the Attorney General’s request, Justice Kavuma granted the UNBS’ application for adjournment and scheduled the matter for November 4, 2025, to allow verification of the Minister’s letter.
Minister Mwebesa is not new to issuing similar directives. In July 2023, just a year before Kasigwa’s appointment, then UNBS Executive Director David Livingstone Ebiru was sent on a month’s forced leave over allegations of misconduct, abuse of office, and misuse of funds.
Ebiru was later charged before the Anti-Corruption Court, though the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew the charges before he could take a plea.
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