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Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa, Kenya, Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, has been charged with causing financial loss of Sh494m to the Government.
Kiguli, 59, was on Monday (October 5) arraigned before Principal Magistrate Christopher Opit at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala.
The Inspectorate of government prosecution team led by William Moses Ntumwa alleges that Kiguli committed the offence in November 2020 while serving as Commissioner for Human Resource Management at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in Entebbe.
According to the charge sheet, on November 9 and 10, 2020, Kiguli allegedly irregularly originated and signed, on behalf of the Principal of Bukalasa Agricultural College, five requisitions totalling sh614,768,000.
Prosecution alleges that Kiguli knew or had reason to believe that his actions would cause financial loss to the Government and that the actions resulted in a financial loss of Sh494,097,270.
He faces a charge of causing financial loss, contrary to Section 19(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, Cap. 116.
Kiguli also faces an alternative charge of abuse of office, contrary to Section 10(1) of the same Act.
Prosecution alleges that in originating and signing the five requisitions, Kiguli acted arbitrarily and in a manner prejudicial to the interests of his employer and the Government.
The charges relate to actions allegedly taken while Kiguli was a public officer at the agriculture ministry and before his current diplomatic posting.
He denied all the charges. Kiguli was represented by lawyer Jerry Alinda, who told court that he had instructions from his client to apply for bail.
Following the bail application, Magistrate Opit adjourned the matter and remanded Kiguli to Luzira Prison until October 7, 2026, when the bail application is scheduled to be heard.
Under Section 19(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, a person convicted of causing financial loss is liable to a fine of up to 336 currency points (sh6.7m), imprisonment for up to 14 years, or both. A currency point is equivalent to sh20,000.
For the alternative charge of abuse of office under Section 10(1), a convicted person is liable to a fine of up to 168 currency points (sh3.36m), imprisonment for up to seven years, or both. Where the offence was committed for purposes of gain, the court is required to order forfeiture to government of anything received as a consequence of the act.
In addition, Section 46 of the Anti-Corruption Act provides that a person convicted of an offence under Sections 2 to 25, which include both causing financial loss and abuse of office, shall be disqualified from holding public office for 10 years from the date of conviction.