Sarah Babirye Kityo, the former president of the Uganda Netball Federation (UNF), has been remanded in Luzira Prison following allegations of fraudulent activity involving Shs186 million. This development stemmed from her arrest on Wednesday.
Appearing before Grade One Magistrate Christopher Opito of the Anticorruption Court in Kampala on Thursday, Ms. Kityo refuted charges of fraudulent and false accounting. Her bail application ruling had been postponed until today, December 1, allowing the prosecution time to verify the authenticity of documents provided by her sureties.
Magistrate Opito granted the state authority to validate the identities of Ms. Diana Tumukunde and Mr. Daniel Ntare, the individuals standing as sureties for Ms. Kityo. The prosecutor, Ms. Gloria Inzikuru, pointed out discrepancies in their residences and business identifications, prompting the need for further verification.
During the court session, Ms. Kityo’s lawyer, Mr. Joseph Luzige, sought bail, highlighting her fixed residence within the court’s jurisdiction and the credibility of her sureties. He emphasized that, despite ongoing investigations by various authorities, Ms. Kityo had not evaded the charges.
The allegations against Ms. Kityo revolve around purported false accountability spanning from November to December 2021 at the Uganda Netball Federation. The accusations suggest that false accounting was conducted regarding funds earmarked for the pent series and the African National Championship in Namibia, funds that were released by the National Council of Sports.
This legal predicament comes on the heels of prior accountability issues involving Ms. Kityo, which led to an order from the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, directing the National Council of Sports (NCS) to keep her out of office. Despite earlier investigations and directives to step aside pending inquiries, Ms. Kityo had resumed her role at the UNF, prompting renewed legal action resulting in her remand.