The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has directed 22 officials from Jinja City’s Southern Division to refund a total of 33.08 million Shillings in public funds that were advanced for official activities but allegedly misappropriated.
The officials include both political leaders and technical staff, among them the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, the Deputy Town Clerk, senior assistant town clerk, internal auditors, accountants, community development officers, a probation officer, and ten councillors.
Investigations by the IGG’s Jinja Regional Office found that the officials had requested facilitation for various council activities but failed to provide evidence that the activities were ever implemented, yet the funds remained unaccounted for, in violation of the Local Government Financial and Accounting Regulations, which require strict accountability for all public expenditures.
During the course of investigations, the implicated officials reportedly committed to refunding the money.The
Inspectorate has since issued formal directives to each of the officials, with copies of the orders sent to the Town Clerk. They have been instructed to deposit the funds into the Inspectorate of Government Assets Recovery Account at the Bank of Uganda.
Among those cited, Christopher Baliraine, the Senior Assistant Town Clerk, faces the highest refund of 4.45 million Shillings.
Esther Kwenala, a Stenographer Secretary, is required to refund 4.06 million Shillings, while Ms Phoebe Monica Kwagala, the Probation and Social Welfare Officer, has been ordered to return 3.84 million Shillings. Prossie Nanangwe, Senior Assistant Accountant, is expected to refund 3.08 million Shillings.
The Mayor of Southern Division, Nasser Asiraf, has been directed to return 1.74 million Shillings, while Deputy Mayor Maria Babirekere Kasasa is required to refund 750,000 Shillings. Joy Kasowole, the Deputy Town Clerk, must refund 1.75 million Shillings.
The ten councillors implicated in the matter have each been ordered to refund amounts ranging between 750,000 and 1.04 million Shillings. Other technical staff, including internal auditors, accountants, and community officers, face refund demands ranging from 400,000 to 600,000 Shillings.
This action forms part of a broader nationwide enforcement drive by the Inspectorate of Government to recover misappropriated public funds and strengthen accountability in local governments.
Under the leadership of Inspector General of Government Lady Justice Aisha Nalule Batala, the Inspectorate is pursuing more than 200 public officials across the country over unaccounted funds amounting to billions of Shillings.
In recent weeks alone, the IGG has recovered 335 million Shillings from 62 public officials out of 202 targeted defaulters, with further recoveries expected through enforcement measures such as salary attachments and court action. URN