Kampala, Uganda: The Anti-Corruption Court has convicted Pallisa County Member of Parliament Otukol Samuel and three others over fraud involving nearly UGX 500 million in Namisindwa District, in a major prosecution secured by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Otukol, a director in Samix Uganda Ltd and Zedkol Financial Services was convicted alongside Odap Francis, former Chief Administrative Officer of Namisindwa District; Wamburu Willy, Acting Chief Financial Officer; and Osire Ezekiel, director of Zedkol Financial Services.
The convictions were delivered on Friday March 27, 2026, following findings that the accused participated in causing financial loss, theft, and conspiracy to defraud.
Court heard that between June, October, and November 2019, Odap and Wamburu processed payments disguised as staff loan deductions to entities that had not provided any services to the district.
The payments included:
UGX 82.5 million to United for Development SACCO
UGX 202.4 million to Samix Uganda Ltd
UGX 210.4 million to Zedkol Financial Services
Prosecution established that these transactions violated Ministry of Public Service guidelines, which require loan deductions to be remitted through a single code managed by the Uganda Consumer Lenders Association (UCLA).
Investigations revealed that Samix Uganda Ltd and Zedkol Financial Services were not licensed by the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA), were not members of UCLA, and had not issued any loans to district staff.
The court further heard that Otukol and Osire withdrew the funds from the companies’ accounts and utilised the money.
Convictions on multiple counts
The court convicted Odap Francis and Wamburu Willy on three counts of causing financial loss and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.
Otukol Samuel was convicted on two counts of theft and two counts of conspiracy to defraud, while Osire Ezekiel was convicted on one count of theft and one count of conspiracy to defraud.
The court is scheduled to deliver sentences on April 1, 2026.
The convictions mark a significant development in ongoing efforts by anti-corruption agencies to clamp down on abuse of public funds within local governments.
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