Mityana LC5 vice chairperson, DSC members arrested over abuse of office, nepotism

MITYANA - The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), in collaboration with the police in Mityana, on February 27, 2026, arrested four senior officials from Mityana district on charges of abuse of office and nepotism.

In a statement released on Friday, SHACU named those arrested as Anna Miriam Nassali, the LC5 vice chairperson; Dr Fred Lwassampijja, the chairperson of the district service commission (DSC); Hussein Mukiibi, the secretary to the commission; and Andrew Ssekibuule, a sitting member of the commission.

“Their arrest stems from preliminary investigations that uncovered allegations of irregular recruitment practices. Specifically, the officials are accused of conspiring to favour their relatives, including their children and spouses, in the recruitment process, significantly undermining meritocracy and fair competition for available positions within the district,” SHACU said in a statement.

The statement noted that some of the affected positions include municipal labour officer, Education assistants, accountant Mityana municipality, head teachers and teaching positions in several schools within the district.

“The above positions were given out without following the necessary employment and appointment guidelines. All of these appointments reportedly occurred without any disclosure of conflict of interest to the Commission, further compounding the ethical violations in accordance with the Leadership Code Act and the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders,” SHACU said.

SHACU stated that the ongoing investigations are aimed at restoring accountability and integrity in the recruitment processes in Mityana district and ensuring that qualified candidates are given equitable opportunities in public employment.

Renewed anti-corruption push

In January this year, SHACU revealed that as part of its investigative focus for 2026, it plans to intensify operations in identified hotspots and sectors considered fertile grounds for corruption, while strengthening preventive measures and public awareness.

Mariam Natasha, the SHACU spokesperson, said in an exclusive interview with the New Vision that, besides enhancing preventive measures such as sensitisation of the public and media engagements, in 2026, SHACU will also focus on strengthening investigations by ensuring a rapid response posture and enhancing its capacity to handle corruption cases.

Further advocating for measures to address the root causes of recurring land conflicts, along with investigations to establish the perpetrators of these crimes.

“Maintaining focus on investigations into the rampant misappropriation of government funds, such as irregularities in awarding of contracts, mismanagement of educational grants, Parish Developmental Model and Emyooga funds,” Natasha said.

She also said they would focus on intensifying and advocating for anti-corruption compliance guidelines such as top-level commitment, due diligence, monitoring and evaluation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“We will also investigate the endemic recruitment irregularities in public service, especially by the District Service Commissions (DSC). Maintain focus and engagement to address the increasing cases of environmental degradation and encroachment on wetlands,” Natasha stated.

She said SHACU would place greater emphasis on administrative action against errant public officials in order to address the challenges of protracted timelines associated with investigations and prosecutions.

“We will intensify collaboration with other anti-corruption agencies, including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, Criminal Investigations Directorate, Internal Security Organisation, Inspectorate of Government, Auditor General, Directorate for Ethics and Integrity, Anti-Corruption Division, Financial Intelligence Authority, among others,” Natasha added.

Natasha said, “Corruption is a malaise and a symptom of moral decadence that has permeated spheres of society. It has led to diversion of scarce resources to personal projects at the expense of the much-needed public service, such as schools, hospitals, roads and supply of clean water.”

She explained that corruption takes many forms, including fraud, abuse of office, embezzlement, bribery and extortion, recruitment irregularities, procurement irregularities, patronage and nepotism, land grabbing, fraudulent creation and acquisition of land titles, illegal evictions, among many other forms.

“Corruption can happen anywhere, in business, government, the courts, the media, and in civil society as well as across all sectors from health, education, to infrastructure and sports,” Natasha added.

She said it also involves almost everyone, including politicians, government officials, public servants, business people, and members of the public.

“Corruption happens in the shadows, often with the help of professional enablers such as auditors, lawyers, security officers, accountants, opaque financial systems and anonymous briefcase companies that allow corruptive schemes to flourish,” Natasha stated.

She revealed that corruption adapts to different contexts and changing circumstances. “It can evolve in response to the changes in rules, legislations and even technology,” Natasha stated.

SHACU said the hotspots and fertile grounds for corruption include land services, PDM and Emyooga programmes, fraud against investors, District Service Commissions, environmental degradation, illegal sale of government drugs and procurement irregularities, among others.

SHACU has registered significant milestones in the fight against corruption since its establishment in 2018, with hundreds of cases investigated, billions of shillings recovered, and dozens of convictions secured.

According to official records, the Unit has so far received more than 800,000 complaints from members of the public across the country.

From these reports, 892 accused persons have been arraigned before courts of law, leading to 152 convictions, while close to sh58b has been saved or recovered.

It was established in December 2018 by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as part of broader efforts to reinforce action against corruption and strengthen accountability in public service.

Since its inception, the Unit has focused on dismantling corruption networks by responding to public reports, conducting intelligence-led investigations and working closely with prosecutorial agencies to ensure suspects are brought to justice.

Officials say the figures recorded so far demonstrate the growing impact of coordinated anti-corruption efforts and increased public confidence in reporting graft.