KAMPALA — The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has arrested seven suspects, including two senior officials in the Office of the Prime Minister’s Department of Refugees, over allegations of extorting money from asylum seekers seeking refugee status in Uganda.
The suspects include Patrick Okello, the Commissioner for Refugee Management, and Douglas Asiimwe, the Assistant Commissioner for Refugee Management. Also arrested were Geoffrey Mugabe, a Senior Settlement Commandant; Noel Ekwap, Head of Information Technology; Henry Bweme, a Registration Officer; Arnold Nadiope, a Refugee Status Interviewing Officer; and Zafar Ahmad, a Pakistani national alleged to have acted as a middleman in the scheme.
According to a statement issued by the Inspectorate of Government, the arrests followed an intelligence-led operation targeting an alleged network that solicited money from asylum seekers in exchange for facilitating refugee registration and status approvals.
“In a significant anti-corruption operation, the Inspectorate of Government has arrested the Commissioner for Refugee Management in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Patrick Okello, together with five other officials and a Pakistani national, over alleged extortion during the registration process of refugees in Uganda,” the IGG said.
The Inspectorate stated that preliminary investigations indicate that Ahmad allegedly served as a key link between refugees and officials within the refugee management system.
“Mr Zafar Ahmad is alleged to have served as the link between OPM officials and refugees, playing a central role in coordinating transactions that were believed to have formed part of the extortion scheme,” the IGG said.
Investigators reportedly conducted search operations before making the arrests, recovering documents and other materials expected to aid ongoing inquiries.
“The arrests were preceded by a search operation conducted by IGG investigators, during which critical documents were retrieved to support the investigations,” the anti-corruption agency added.
The suspects have since recorded statements at the Inspectorate’s offices and remain in custody as investigations continue.
According to reports, the suspects are accused of demanding thousands of dollars from asylum seekers originating from countries including Somalia, Pakistan, Iran and Syria, allegedly promising to expedite refugee status determinations and registration processes.
The arrests have drawn widespread public attention given Uganda’s reputation as Africa’s largest refugee-hosting nation. The country currently hosts more than 1.6 million refugees and asylum seekers, most of whom come from neighbouring countries affected by conflict and instability.
The Inspectorate said the operation demonstrates government’s commitment to combating corruption and ensuring integrity in public service delivery.
“The operation underscores the government’s continued efforts to combat corruption and uphold integrity in public service delivery,” the IGG said.
Neither the Office of the Prime Minister nor the suspects had publicly commented on the allegations by press time.
The arrests come amid intensified anti-corruption efforts by government agencies targeting abuse of office, extortion and illicit enrichment within public institutions.