Kisoro District Education Officer Emmanuel Mwumvaneza has been charged with embezzlement, making false claims by an official and abuse of office over alleged financial irregularities in a Shs1.4 billion classroom construction programme.
The charges follow investigations into the district’s classroom construction programme for the 2024/2025 financial year, according to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU).
Mwumvaneza was arraigned following a joint investigation involving the Anti-Corruption Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Investigators suspect a coordinated scheme in which contracts for school construction were awarded to companies allegedly owned by or linked to district officials, while payments were processed without proper verification of the work completed.
The investigations are also examining allegations that classroom blocks built by communities were presented as newly completed government projects.
The alleged practice raises questions about the accuracy of project accountability records, the extent of construction work delivered and the possible loss of public funds.
In a separate set of allegations, Mwumvaneza has been charged over the alleged misappropriation of Shs8,252,200 advanced for the commissioning of education projects.
He is also accused of making a false entry indicating that he had attended a commissioning event and instructing officials to pay allowances for commissioning activities that allegedly did not take place.
The alleged financial irregularities relate to public funds intended to expand classroom infrastructure in Kisoro District, in southwestern Uganda.
The investigations are intended to establish how construction contracts were awarded, whether the reported works were completed as claimed and whether payments were supported by actual work delivered.
The charges against Mwumvaneza remain allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.
Further details about his plea, the court handling the case and any other officials charged in connection with the alleged scheme were not provided in the statement.
