Kakumiro District Chairperson Joseph Sentayi is in custody at Hoima City Central Police Station following his arrest by the Inspectorate of Government over alleged abuse of office and misuse of government resources.
Sentayi was arrested alongside four other district officials, including his driver, David Baguma; District Engineer Robert Mukabya; Assistant District Engineer Stephen Twesige; and another official identified as Robert Kizito Byaruhanga.
The arrests were made by detectives from the Inspectorate of Government’s Hoima Regional Office following a whistleblower’s complaint about the alleged misuse of two government vehicles allocated to the district chairperson, including one vehicle that has reportedly been missing for about a year.
Paul De’souza Otieno, the Head of the Inspectorate of Government’s Hoima Regional Office, confirmed the arrests in a telephone interview with Uganda Radio Network. Otieno said Sentayi had been allocated a government vehicle but allegedly handed it over to a driver who was not authorised by government to operate it.
He said the vehicle has since been missing for the past year. Otieno further alleged that Sentayi used his authority to influence the allocation of another government vehicle, with the alleged involvement of other district officials. The Inspectorate says the actions amount to abuse of office and misuse of government resources.
According to Otieno, investigators first conducted a spot check at the district and subsequently summoned the officials to the Inspectorate’s Hoima offices, where they were arrested after reporting to record statements. Otieno said one of the vehicles allocated to the district chairperson, registration number UG 3400082, has since been impounded.
He said the officials arrested on Friday would be taken to court to face charges of abuse of office and negligence of duty.
The case raises fresh questions about controls over government vehicles and other public assets at the local government level, particularly where officials have authority over their allocation and use.
The arrests in Kakumiro come shortly after the Inspectorate of Government took action against officials in neighbouring Kibaale District over the alleged misuse of government equipment.
In July, the Inspectorate arrested Kibaale District Chief Administrative Officer John Kantotoroma over allegations that he illegally hired out a government bulldozer valued at about 600 million shillings to a private company for personal gain.
Kantotoroma was arrested by detectives from the Inspectorate’s Hoima Regional Office and taken to Kibaale Central Police Station alongside five other suspects. The arrest followed a spot check during which investigators reportedly found the district bulldozer, registration number LG 0028-19, being used by Karukana Enterprises Limited, a private company contracted by government to construct the Kibaale District Internal Security Officer’s office.
The Inspectorate said its investigations established that the arrangement allegedly involved the Chief Administrative Officer and District Engineer Chrizestom Bagire. According to the Inspectorate, the use of the government equipment in the arrangement was contrary to laws and regulations governing the management and use of government property.
