OPM bosses arrested in refugee status bribery probe

KAMPALA - Six officials attached to the Department of Refugees under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) have been arrested over allegations of soliciting bribes from foreign nationals seeking refugee status in Uganda.

The officials were arrested on June 4, 2026, in a joint operation conducted by the Uganda Police Force and the Inspectorate of Government (IG).

The suspects include Commissioner Patrick Okello, Assistant Commissioner Douglas Asiimwe, Senior Settlement Commandant Geoffrey Mugabe, Information Technology Head Noel Okwang and Registration Officer Henry Bwena.

The officials were picked up from their offices along Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road in Old Kampala and later taken to the Inspectorate headquarters to record statements.

The arrests stem from numerous complaints alleging corruption in the refugee registration and status determination process.

An IG official, who preferred anonymity, alleged that the officials demanded between $5,000 (sh18.8 million) and $10,000 (sh37.6 million) from applicants in exchange for facilitating the approval of refugee status applications that had previously been rejected.

A Pakistani national, Ahmad Zafar, is among the key witnesses assisting investigators in the matter.

Prior to the arrests, investigators spent about four hours searching offices within the department. During the operation, they confiscated 18 laptops used in refugee registration, 20 files containing departmental records and mobile phones belonging to the suspects.

(L-R) OPM registration officer Henry Bwana, OPM commissioner Patrick Okello, Information Technology Head Noel Okwang and Senior Settlement Commandant Geoffrey Mugabe, seated at the IGG office shortly before their arrest by the police. (Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)

The items are expected to form part of the evidence should criminal charges be preferred against the officials.

According to investigators, the alleged scheme involved asylum seekers from several countries, including Pakistan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Burundi and Rwanda.

However, authorities said most complaints received relate to applicants from Pakistan, Eritrea, Somalia and Afghanistan.

The IG official said Uganda's refugee laws require individuals fleeing persecution to apply for asylum within 30 days of entering the country.

Under the law, applications are reviewed by the Refugee Eligibility Committee (REC), which determines whether applicants qualify for refugee status.

Investigators allege that some applicants whose claims had been rejected may have circumvented established procedures by seeking the intervention of senior officials within the department.

The official noted that refugee communities are often organised under leadership structures headed by elected chairpersons who work alongside committees and frequently engage with government agencies on refugee-related matters.

“We are not preventing anyone from seeking refuge in Uganda, but all applications and related transactions must be conducted within the confines of the law. The public deserves transparency and that is why we have chosen to address these allegations,” the official said.

The Inspectorate said investigations are ongoing and that more details will be released as inquiries progress.