By Patrick Jaramogi
and Reuben Olita

UGANDA expects Kenya to extradite businessman James Isabirye Mugoya to face fraud charges.

“It has always been the procedure for suspects wanted in relation to crimes committed here to be extradited. We have done that before and will as well do it to him (Mugoya),” said Richard Butera, the Director of Public Prosecutions yesterday.

Asked whether a formal request had been lodged by the Ugandan Government to Kenyan authorities to have Mugoya extradited, Butera responded: “We have an extradition treaty with Kenya. That has always been the normal procedure. The extradition process will take effect.”
He, however, said criminal proceedings against Mugoya could not be extended at the same time in the two countries.

“He may either first face charges in Kenya before appearing here because two cases can’t take place at the same time. One has to be completed first,” he explained.

Wednesday reports said Mugoya, 57, the managing director of Mugoya Construction and Engineering Company, was arrested in Nairobi following an arrest warrant issued by the Kenyan Police over unpaid debts amounting to over KShs3b (about sh75 billion).

Mugoya is wanted in Uganda for allegedly giving a $340,000 bribe to the former National Social Security Fund (NSSF) managing director, Leonard Mpuuma, to influence the award of a contract to him.

He is jointly charged with the former Labour minister, Bakoko Bakoru, of conspiring to defraud NSSF of sh8.2b in the botched $225m (about sh360 billion) Nsimbe Housing Estates project.

However, his lawyer, MacDusman Kabega, said he was not aware of his arrest. “I met him on Tuesday evening in Nairobi. Apart from what I have read in the newspapers, I am not in position to confirm his arrest,” Kabega said yesterday.

The Kenyan Police could also not disclose Mugoya’s whereabouts.
“We have no information regarding his arrest,” an officer at the police headquarters told The New Vision.