ABUJA, Nigeria | KAMPALA, Uganda – Ambassador Nelson Ocheger, Uganda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, has been formally recalled following serious allegations of financial misconduct, including embezzlement, money laundering, and abuse of office, at the Ugandan High Commission in Abuja.
The allegations stem from a comprehensive audit by the Auditor General, covering financial activities at the mission between mid-2022 and early 2024. In response, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) launched a joint investigation that revealed deeply troubling transactions and potential criminal liability involving key embassy staff and the ambassador himself.
Investigators found that nearly UGX 300 million—allocated as supplementary wage support for embassy staff—was either misappropriated or unaccounted for. The most alarming transaction occurred on August 31, 2023, when the mission instructed Stanbic Bank Abuja to transfer US$1 million (approximately UGX 3.7 billion) to a little-known company, Golden Edge Blocks Distribution Co. Ltd.
The payment, labeled “project funds to Naira project account,” had no verifiable contractual basis, and there was no evidence that the company had rendered services to the High Commission. Investigators believe the transaction may have been intended to exploit Nigeria’s black-market currency exchange rates for illicit financial gain.
While embassy financial officers and the attaché executed the transactions, investigators allege that Ambassador Ocheger was fully aware—and possibly complicit in the scheme. As scrutiny intensified, Ocheger reportedly attempted to interfere with the investigation by ordering the removal of the mission’s accounting officer, Mr. Eriya Tusubira, and instructing Stanbic Bank to revoke his authority over the High Commission’s accounts.
This act was seen by investigators as a deliberate attempt to obstruct the investigation, since only the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance in Kampala holds the legal mandate to make such changes.
The financial irregularities severely disrupted embassy operations. Staff salaries went unpaid for months, the commissioning of Uganda House Abuja—the new chancery building—was delayed, and diplomatic activities were effectively paralyzed. The findings sparked outrage in Uganda’s Parliament, with opposition lawmakers demanding accountability, legal action, and reforms in the foreign service.
In April 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially recalled Ambassador Ocheger from his post. As of this publication, he has not issued a public statement, and no response has been made by his legal representatives. A comprehensive investigative report has been submitted to President Yoweri Museveni’s office, with disciplinary or prosecutorial decisions expected soon.
The Abuja scandal has drawn attention to systemic weaknesses in Uganda’s diplomatic financial oversight. Parallel investigations are also ongoing at the Ugandan Consulate in Dubai, where diplomats are accused of separate financial misconduct involving gambling machines and abuse of diplomatic privileges. The government’s recent decision to recall multiple envoys and initiate broad foreign service reforms signals growing political will to enforce transparency and restore credibility in Uganda’s diplomatic missions.
