Overview:
According to the prosecution charge sheet dated February 12, 2026, and signed by Brenda Kimbugwe, Manager in Charge of Prosecutions at the IG, and Inspector General of Government Lady Justice Aisha Batala Naluzze. The suspects allegedly committed the offences between January and June 2023.
Officials from the Inspectorate of Government (IG) on Monday stormed Rubanda District headquarters and arrested six civil servants on allegations of stealing government funds totaling Shillings 107,688,900.
The suspects have been identified as Benon Kahangi, 48, the District Production and Marketing Officer; Stephen Buregyeya, 46, the District Senior Treasurer; Sixtus Ahabwe, 29, Assistant Veterinary Officer; Owen Atuheire, 42, Assistant Inventory Management Officer; Wilson Kwizera, 38, Assistant Agricultural Officer; and Pamela Musimenta, 29, Assistant Agricultural Officer.
IG officials also arrested Nicholas Karuhanga, 41, Director of Hummer Consults Company Limited, a contracting firm accused of conniving with Kahangi to siphon district funds. Karuhanga was apprehended in Rukungiri District where he had gone into hiding. Peter Rurinayo, 40, the District Finance Officer, and Gerald Sibomana, 43, the District Fisheries Officer, are still on the run.
According to the prosecution charge sheet dated February 12, 2026, and signed by Brenda Kimbugwe, Manager in Charge of Prosecutions at the IG, and Inspector General of Government Lady Justice Aisha Batala Naluzze. The suspects allegedly committed the offences between January and June 2023.
It is alleged that between February and March 2023, Kahangi and Buregyeya allegedly stole Shillings 68,529,300 from the district account 3100073137 in Centenary Bank, to which they had access by virtue of their offices.
Ahabwe and Atuheire are accused of stealing Sh9,778,900 In January 2023. The money was meant for agricultural extension activities in Habuhutu-Mugyera Town Council. In the same month, Kwizera and Kahangi allegedly stole Shillings 9,789,900 intended for similar activities in Ruhija Sub-county.
Musimenta and Rurinayo are also accused of stealing Shillings 9,789,900 earmarked for agricultural extension services in Bubare Sub-county, while Sibomana and Turyahikayo allegedly also stole a uniform amount of Shillings 9,780,900 meant for extension activities in Nshanjare Town Council.
Additionally, Kahangi and Karuhanga are accused of stealing Shillings 67,383,000 between January and June 2023. It is alleged that Kahangi stealthily transferred the funds from the district account to Karuhanga’s company account.
The suspects were first confined at the office of the Rubanda District Chief Administrative Officer, where they were questioned for about an hour before being escorted in a government vehicle registration to Kampala.
Noeline Nsungwa, Supervisor of Ombudsman Affairs at the IG’s Kabale Regional Office, confirms that the suspects were transported to Kampala to appear before the Anti-Corruption Court to face charges of embezzlement and abuse of office. She added that efforts to apprehend the two suspects still at large are ongoing.
Eric Ssewandigi , Rubanda Resident District Commissioner says he supports the arrests, noting that investigations had earlier established that the funds were misappropriated. He also says that the suspects had been asked to refund the money but they allegedly declined.
The arrested officials declined to comment on the allegations.This is not the first time Kahangi is arrested on accusations of stealing government funds. In December 2023, He was arrested for allegedly stealing 21 million shillings out of 125 million shillings released in a 2021/2022 financial year budget to fund various supplies of agriculture extension services with in the production department.
Investigations found that Kahangi had forged signatures from the internal auditor, inventory officer and sub county extension workers by creating false records of money payments and supply deliveries for extension work.
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