The treasurer of Buyende East Constituency Taxi Operators in Buyende District, John Patrick Kiwanuka, has been sentenced to one year in prison for embezzling a total of 30.4 million Ugandan shillings. Kiwanuka pleaded guilty to the charges as part of a plea bargain agreement.
The verdict was delivered by Judge Lawrence Gidudu of the Anti-Corruption Court on September 22, 2023. In addition to the prison sentence, Kiwanuka was ordered to refund the embezzled amount of 30.4 million shillings to the Buyende East Constituency Taxi Operators’ Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS).Kiwanuka’s father and businessman, Patrick Tibakuno, was also convicted in the case and sentenced to six months in prison. He was further ordered to refund 2 million shillings. Both Kiwanuka and Tibakuno were banned from holding any public office for a period of 10 years.According to the prosecution, led by Chief State Attorney Safina Bireke from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the embezzled funds were part of the Emyooga program provided to the SACCOS.The court heard that on July 7, 2022, while serving as the treasurer of the SACCOS, John Patrick Kiwanuka misappropriated the funds, taking advantage of his position within the organization. Meanwhile, Patrick Tibakuno was found to have altered the registration number of a Mitsubishi vehicle with the license plate UAY 242D. This vehicle had been purchased by his son, Kiwanuka, using the stolen Emyooga program funds.Emyooga is a presidential initiative focused on wealth and job creation, initiated in August 2019 as part of the government’s strategy to transition households from subsistence farming to market-oriented production. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of transparent and accountable management of public funds in programs aimed at socio-economic development.