KIRUHURA, November 13, 2026 — The Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, has ordered the arrest of Kiruhura District Principal Commercial Officer Scovia Burosho Natukunda and several other individuals over the alleged diversion of Shs 30 million in Emyooga seed capital meant for journalists, and the unauthorised sale of a government motorcycle.
The directives were issued during the minister’s ongoing anti-corruption tour of the Ankole Sub-region, aimed at exposing corruption, addressing administrative irregularities and recovering mismanaged public resources in local governments.
According to findings presented by crime investigators during a public gathering/baraza, the alleged fraud involved four individuals who reportedly connived with Natukunda to register a parallel association, the Kashongi Constituency Journalists Emyooga SACCO, which subsequently received Shs 30mln in government seed capital without the knowledge of practising journalists in the area.
Those implicated include Radio 5 Rushere employees Dativa Katushabe and David Nuwamanya, former Kiruhura District Speaker Seith Mwetwire, Kenshunga Subcounty Chief Boaz Tumwesigye and Obongi Deputy Resident District Commissioner Paul Abaho.
“Early in 2026, following complaints from journalists in Kashongi Constituency, led by Naboth Tugume, Natukunda organised genuine journalists into their constituency SACCO, which subsequently received another Shs 20mln in seed capital. However, the initial Shs 30mln, which had been obtained in the journalists’ name and allegedly embezzled, has never been refunded,” Barugahara said while issuing the arrest orders.
“The District Commercial Officer and those who benefited from the money are responsible and must be arrested. Regarding the alleged diversion and sale in 2025 of the government motorcycle donated by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to facilitate district commercial activities, let the State House Anti-Corruption Unit handle the investigations. Go and record your statements,” he added.
The minister also directed police to arrest the other alleged beneficiaries who were absent from the Baraza and have them record statements to facilitate further investigations.
Journalists decry ghost beneficiaries and stalled projects
The developments have been welcomed by members of the Kashongi Journalists Emyooga SACCO, who said they had been systematically excluded from the programme despite obtaining official registration certificates.
The SACCO’s Chairperson, Aaron Ainomugisha, said the alleged diversion of the funds had frustrated several young journalists who had planned to establish household income-generating projects, including piggery and poultry farming.
“As the focal person, I know that no Emyooga SACCO can be cleared without the approval of the Principal Commercial Officer. In this case, ghost journalists were registered and shared the money, while genuine beneficiaries were left waiting anxiously for the funds,” Ainomugisha said.
“To our dismay, we discovered that individuals who had already benefited from their respective SACCOs had taken the money meant for our association. That is why we even wrote to the Inspectorate of Government seeking immediate intervention,” he added.
Before her arrest, Natukunda denied the allegations, saying Kiruhura district has 36 registered Emyooga SACCOs that have received more than Shs1 billion in cumulative seed capital. She urged SACCO members to prioritise internal savings.
Similarly, Kiruhura District Commercial Officer Alexander Kamugisha maintained that district technical staff do not handle the disbursement of Emyooga funds, explaining that the money is transferred directly by the Microfinance Support Centre [MSC] to individual SACCO accounts.
“Once a SACCO is registered by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, the money is transferred directly from the Microfinance Support Centre to its account, not through the district. This is because each SACCO is an independent entity with its own leadership,” Kamugisha said.
“Our role under the Cooperative Societies Act 2020 is limited to helping SACCOs obtain operational certificates, submit annual reports and hold annual general meetings,” he added.
Anti-corruption crackdown spreads to Sheema, Bushenyi and Ibanda
The developments in Kiruhura are part of a wider anti-corruption crackdown across Southwestern Uganda led by Barugahara.
Earlier in the week, on November 10, 2026, an anti-corruption Baraza convened by Barugahara in neighbouring Ibanda district resulted in the interdiction and arrest of 30 local government officials accused of involvement in bribery, selling jobs, wetland encroachment and fraudulent land allocations.
Ibanda Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Mbetegyereize said security agencies had apprehended the implicated officials to ensure accountability and restore public confidence in district administration.
“We must walk the talk; this should not end with pronouncements. Corruption directly affects service delivery, and those responsible must be held accountable. In Ibanda, 30 officials were implicated by the minister, and all of them have been apprehended to answer to the allegations,” Mbetegyereize said.
Newly appointed Ibanda Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Eva Biira, who replaced Kweyamba Ruhemba following separate corruption investigations, welcomed the minister’s intervention and called on district staff to embrace public scrutiny as an opportunity to strengthen accountability and transparency.
“We believe that, with the available documentation, evidence and the investigative team that has been left in the district, we shall assess the situation and establish where matters stand so that we can serve the people better,” Biira said.
“We welcome feedback from the community because it is essential in promoting accountability, balance and transparency in service delivery,” she added.
Residents in Ibanda also welcomed the minister’s intervention to stop the alleged illegal sale of land on Ibanda Hills belonging to Rukokoma Mixed Farmers Cooperative Society Limited, which they said was threatening agricultural production and the livelihoods of local farming households.
“We had an issue involving land on Ibanda Hills belonging to Rukokoma Mixed Farmers Cooperative Society, and the minister directed that the cooperative should retain the land,” said Innocent Ayebazibwe, a resident of Nyakatookye Ward.
“I urge security agencies in the area to ensure that the minister’s directives are strictly implemented because residents depend on that land to grow food and sustain their livelihoods,” he added.
Meanwhile, in Sheema District, a similar ministerial inspection resulted in the on-the-spot arrest of two local leaders and the interdiction of more than 20 civil servants.
Those affected included town clerks, parish chiefs, engineers, surveyors, education inspectors and commercial officers, as the central government intensifies efforts to tackle corruption and improve accountability across the Ankole Sub-region.
https://thecooperator.news/govt-launches-probe-into-shs-12-22bln-pdm-emyooga-funds-in-karamoja/
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