SHACU launches probe into UCA asset fraud after Museveni orders recovery of stolen properties

MBARARA CITY, June 30, 2026 – President Yoweri Museveni is said to have directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit [SHACU] to investigate the alleged fraudulent disposal of real estate assets belonging to the Uganda Cooperative Alliance [ UCA ], following reports that former officials illegally sold off prime properties and land belonging to the struggling organisation.

The current leadership says SHACU has since instructed the Ministry of Lands to place caveats on all contested properties to prevent further transactions, as state agencies intensify efforts to recover the organisation’s assets.

According to the General Secretary, Ivan Asiimwe some of the properties so far identified include nine acres of UCA land in Kasangati [Wakiso district], a 6.9-acre parcel in Mbalwa [Wakiso district], and a further 9.3 acres in Sonde [Mukono district].

He added investigators have also established that fraudulent land titles of the organisation were still being processed as recently as last year under the name of former management, despite the previous leadership having exited office in 2017. Asiimwe said former board members orchestrated widespread illegal sales of the properties mainly for selfish interests, although some sources indicate some of the assets were sold to pay off the organisation’s debts.

Asiimwe made the remarks in Mbarara City recently while speaking at the 53rd Annual General Meeting of the Banyankole Kweterana Cooperative Union [BKCU], where he highlighted similar challenges faced by cooperative organisations in recovering stolen assets.

He alleged that the former leadership further disposed of highly valuable properties, including five plots in Bugolobi, land at the Uganda Manufacturers Association [UMA] grounds in Kampala, 14 acres in Kajjansi [Wakiso district], and additional parcels in Papati-Kyambogo [Kampala district] and Seeta [Mukono district].

He also cited houses formerly occupied by past UCA chief executives in Kansanga and Kololo as part of the disputed assets.

Asiimwe further claimed that when the current leadership resisted attempts to influence the investigations, they were subjected to intimidation, including alleged bribery offers of Shs 100 million to the UCA Chairperson, Johnas Tweyambe, and Shs 50 million to his deputy.

He said that when these attempts failed, he personally became a target, prompting him to seek protection from President Yoweri Museveni, who subsequently ordered that he be placed under state security protection.

He also praised former UCA Treasurer Stephen Bongonzya for raising early concerns in 2016 over irregular land transactions, including a disputed Shs 1 billion deal that was reportedly missing from official records. Bongonzya’s warnings, though initially dismissed, are said to have helped expose the scale of the alleged irregularities.

Asiimwe urged leaders at BKCU to remain united, transparent and vigilant, warning that internal divisions often expose cooperatives to exploitation by corrupt actors.

He expressed confidence that, with support from State House and anti-corruption investigators, UCA will recover its historical properties and strengthen its institutional stability.

Asiimwe added that despite alleged threats from powerful land syndicates, he remains committed to tracing and reclaiming all stolen cooperative assets, noting that the organisation, founded in 1961, must be protected for future generations.

https://thecooperator.news/uca-welcomes-bous-extension-of-licensing-deadline-for-large-saccos/

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