Uganda's Museveni Orders Arrest of Officials in Aid Program Scandal.
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has ordered police to revoke bail for local officials accused of stealing from a poverty relief program in the Lango region.
The suspects, released on police bond after their January 25 arrest, allegedly extorted money from recipients of the Parish Development Model aid initiative.
"I have directed the IGP to cancel those police bonds and make sure they face trial," Museveni wrote Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. He warned that officials who fail to prosecute "will be held accountable."
This order follows Museveni's December 31 ban on police bonds for "village thieves," claiming lenient treatment encourages crime. He threatened consequences for officers who grant bonds in these cases.
The Uganda Law Society has challenged the president's stance. The group's president, Isaac Ssemakadde, called the directives unconstitutional.
"This move contravenes Articles 23, 28(3)(a), and 99 of the Constitution," Ssemakadde said. He added that arbitrary detention unfairly targets poor citizens and political opponents.
Legal experts note that both police bond and bail remain constitutional rights in Uganda. The controversy highlights tensions between executive power and judicial independence in the East African nation.
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has ordered police to revoke bail for local officials accused of stealing from a poverty relief program in the Lango region.
The suspects, released on police bond after their January 25 arrest, allegedly extorted money from recipients of the Parish Development Model aid initiative.
"I have directed the IGP to cancel those police bonds and make sure they face trial," Museveni wrote Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. He warned that officials who fail to prosecute "will be held accountable."
This order follows Museveni's December 31 ban on police bonds for "village thieves," claiming lenient treatment encourages crime. He threatened consequences for officers who grant bonds in these cases.
The Uganda Law Society has challenged the president's stance. The group's president, Isaac Ssemakadde, called the directives unconstitutional.
"This move contravenes Articles 23, 28(3)(a), and 99 of the Constitution," Ssemakadde said. He added that arbitrary detention unfairly targets poor citizens and political opponents.
Legal experts note that both police bond and bail remain constitutional rights in Uganda. The controversy highlights tensions between executive power and judicial independence in the East African nation.
