news 13 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Rwampara Production Officer Arrested Over Shs1.1 Billion in Misappropriated Funds
Rwampara District Production Officer, Deogracious Begumisa, has been arrested on the orders of the Local Government Minister, Balaam Barugahara, for failing to account for over Shs1.1 billion allocated to the district in the previous financial year. Engineers also face interdiction over alleged misuse of Shs400 million. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/rwampara-official-arrested-over-shs1-1b-engineers-face-interdictions-5631192
The Production Officer for Rwampara District, Deogracious Begumisa, is in custody following directives from Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara. Begumisa is accused of failing to account for Shs1.1 billion that was allocated to the district for the 2025/2026 financial year. This substantial sum includes Shs538 million in conditional wage grants, Shs217 million in unconditional grants, and Shs231 million in development revenue, among other allocations.
Minister Barugahara stated that his office had received numerous complaints regarding Begumisa’s alleged embezzlement of funds intended for the facilitation of agricultural extension workers. These workers, in turn, claim they are hampered by systemic underfunding and budget cuts, which prevent them from effectively carrying out their duties, such as sensitizing PDM beneficiaries and conducting pest surveillance.
An official audit sanctioned by the Chief Administrative Officer, conducted by District Internal Auditor Junior Tumwebaze, corroborated these claims. The audit report indicated that agricultural workers were severely limited by a lack of resources, with significant discrepancies noted between allocated funds and those disbursed at the local government level. Specifically, out of an approximate Shs158 million budget for sub-counties, only Shs50 million reportedly reached them, with the remainder spent at the district production department.
Begumisa, prior to his arrest, dismissed the allegations, attributing them to extension officers’ unwillingness to work and their attempt to shift blame. However, the Minister, citing these reports and the lack of agricultural extension services as a potential reason for unproductive PDM fund utilization in the district, ordered Begumisa’s arrest.
In a related development, two Rwampara District engineers, Gilbert Muhangi and Christopher Muhwezi, are facing interdiction. They are accused of mismanaging over Shs400 million allocated for road rehabilitation projects during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 financial years. The funds were reportedly designated for the Nguugo–Bituntu Road, Kinoni–Katereza Road, and the Nyamukana–Kibaare–Byanamira Road.