URN. The Hoima District LC5 Chairperson, Kadir Kirungi has been arrested by detectives from the State house anti-corruption unit over yet to be disclosed charges.
Kirungi was picked from Hoima city on Sunday evening by detectives from the statehouse anti-corruption unit and was whisked to yet an unknown police custody. However, sources say he is being detained at Kireka special investigation Unit -SIU police in Kampala.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson confirmed Kirungi’s arrest but declined to divulge more details and referred Uganda Radio Network (URN) to the anti-corruption Unit.
A source at the statehouse anti-corruption unit who spoke to URN on condition of anonymity confirmed that the LC5 Chairperson was arrested by detectives from the statehouse anti-corruption unit adding that he is being investigated on various charges that are yet to be disclosed.
In September this year, Kadir Kirungi and three members of his executive were arrested for allegedly hiring out the Hoima Road equipment unit to an Indian investor in Kiryandongo district.
Those arrested alongside the LC5 Chairperson in September were; Benson Chiche, the Hoima LC5 Vice-Chairperson, James Mugenyi Mulindambura, the Kiganja sub-county LC 5 Councilor and Natural resources Secretary, Geoffrey Komakech, the Buseruka sub-county LC5 Councillor and District Finance Secretary.
The State House anti-corruption unit detained the officials when they appeared before the Criminal Investigations Directorate headquarters in Kampala to respond to various accusations put against them.
The district officials were also accused of forgery on August 28, 2021, with intent to deceive. They allegedly forged the District Executive committee-DEC minutes and backdated them to June 22, 2021, to cover their dubious deals.
In September, the Police and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit impounded the Hoima Road equipment in question from a private farm owned by an Indian investor in Kigumba town council Kiryandongo district for alleged misuse. The unit comprises a grader and a Vibro roller machine. This led to the arrest of Hoima district engineer Ibrahim Luswata, works supervisor, Vincent Irumba and a mechanic attached to the district Charles Tibagwa.
The suspects together with other top district officials are alleged to have connived and hired out the road equipment to the Indian investor, whose names haven’t been disclosed to date.
In June 2017, President Museveni commissioned the road equipment worth more than Shillings 500b that was distributed to 121 districts.
Each district received a full unit consisting of one motor grader, one wheel loader, one vibro roller, one water bowser and two dump trucks.
Each unit was valued at 2.7 billion Shillings. The 1,151 pieces of road equipment were imported from Japan using a loan from the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation.
For More corruption-related stories click here
