Anti graft war: SH-ACU’s Brig Isoke ramps up for inter-agency cooperation

By John Kabagambe

The war on corruption in Uganda is steadfastly gaining a surge of momentum and it’s more clear than ever before, that more cases of corruption, bribery, abuse of office and other management ills are getting reported, arrests and arraignments in courts are promptly done,  there is better case management and a high conviction rate of the culprits.

If you are wondering why, credit goes to  Brig Gen Henry Isoke and his State House Anti Corruption Unit ( SH-ACU) for their efficient case management and for their rapid and robust response to tackling corruption.

It is further noteworthy that given the enormous and humongous task that SH-ACU has, Brig. Gen Isoke has deemed it fit to forge a united front by marshalling inter-agency coordination and cooperation to work hand-in-glove to surmount the challenges of fighting a deeply entrenched and widespread vice which corruption is in Uganda today.

Early this month, Brig Gen Isoke made a courtesy call on his lordship the Deputy Chief Justice (Richard Buteera) to foster and strengthen closer cooperation between SH-ACU and the judiciary, and on September 21,  2022, while giving a lecture to new ISO recruits at the institute of intelligence and security studies at Entebbe, Brig Gen Isoke underscored  the role of intelligence in the fight against corruption, and while emphasising the importance of intelligence-led operations (by agencies such as ISO) he commended the role ISO has played so far in intelligence gathering and keeping a watchful eye over corruption syndicates in government agencies.

Brig Gen Isoke called for a multi-agency intelligence-led approach and for cross agency cooperation with CID, IGG, DPP, FIA, and office of the Auditor General, in otherwords, a combined united front by all agencies and we applaud this because, with covert intelligence leading and guiding investigations, there will be seamless and successful prosecution of cases, and with close cooperation of agencies, we  hope, there will be better and optimum utilisation of the available manpower and resources.

And the month of September has had a bevy of activities ranging from the arrest of 7 former members of the interim management committee of Wandegeya market together with four KCCA officials who were arrested and arraigned in court on charges of abuse of office, conspiracy to defraud and causing damage to property.

Next up, SHACU swung into action and arrested an alleged notorious serial land grabber (a one Kyagaba Charles) who was arraigned in court on charges of malicious damage to a house belonging to a one Kyomuhangi Margret, a resident of Ziru village in Wakiso district, while uttering fraudulently obtained court documents.

We then had a conviction of a one Ngolobe Vicent (a former court clerk) who was netted and successfully prosecuted over solicitation of a bribe.

Bribe solicitation also claimed the city physical planner of Lira who was convicted by court over seeking a bribe to extend a lease on government land.

Still in Lira, a network of district officials including; the District staff surveyor (Opio Francis) the Natural resources officer (Otuke Pabious) the cartographer (Ogwang Joel) and others at large were busted and charged with abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of titles and conspiracy to defraud, while in Ngora district, thieving officials felt SH-ACU’s uncomfortable squeeze and pleaded to refund Shs 242 million belonging to the Parish Develioment Model (PDM) project.

The writer is a lawyer & a writer

Twitter@JohnKabagambe4

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