Kampala, Uganda: The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court has revived proceedings in the high-profile Shs3.8 billion Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society compensation case, summoning former Trade Ministry Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali and her co-accused back to court following a key Constitutional Court ruling.
According to a hearing notice issued by the Anti-Corruption Division in Kampala, the matter will come up for mention before Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga on June 17, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the court’s premises in Nakasero.
The case has drawn national attention due to the senior government officials, legislators and private individuals implicated in what prosecutors describe as a scheme to irregularly channel billions of shillings in government compensation funds to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Ltd in Bulambuli District.
Those facing trial include former Permanent Secretary and Accounting Officer Geraldine Ssali Busulwa, Igara East MP and Patriotic League of Uganda Director for Mobilization, Hon Michael Mawanda Maranga, Elgon County MP Ignatius Mudimi Wamakuyu, Busiki County MP Paul Akamba, lawyer Julius Taitankoko Kirya, and Principal Cooperative Officer Leonard Kavundira.
Court records show that proceedings had stalled after one of the accused, Busiki County MP Paul Akamba, petitioned the Constitutional Court, challenging the legality of his prosecution.
Akamba argued that he was subjected to torture and human rights violations during his arrest and detention and sought to have the charges against him dismissed.
The Constitutional Court has since ruled on the matter, paving the way for the Anti-Corruption Court to resume handling the substantive case.
“Take notice that the above matter before Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga has been fixed for mention on the 17th day of June 2026 at 9:00 am or soon thereafter as the case can be heard,” the hearing notice, a copy of which DailyExpress saw, states.
The court further warned all parties that the proceedings could continue in their absence if they fail to appear.
The prosecution alleges that the accused persons participated in a conspiracy that led to the irregular payment of Shs3.8 billion to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society under the government’s war-loss compensation programme.
At the centre of the case is Geraldine Ssali, who served as Permanent Secretary and Accounting Officer at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC) during the period in question.
Prosecutors contend that during the 2021/22 financial year, Ssali abused her office by authorising the inclusion of Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society on a list of beneficiaries earmarked for compensation despite the cooperative not appearing on the supplementary budget request submitted on August 4, 2021.
The State argues that the decision was arbitrary and prejudicial to the interests of her employer and the Government of Uganda.
According to the charge sheet, Ssali subsequently authorised payments totalling Shs3.8 billion to Kirya & Co Advocates on behalf of Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society in contravention of the Treasury Instructions, 2017.
Prosecutors maintain that she knew, or ought to have known, that the transactions would result in financial loss to government.
The former Permanent Secretary and Leonard Kavundira are additionally charged with abuse of office and causing financial loss to government.
Kavundira, who served as Principal Cooperative Officer and sat on the ministry’s verification committee, is accused of influencing the leadership of Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society to terminate the services of Anguria & Co Advocates and instead appoint Kirya & Co Advocates to pursue the compensation claim.
The prosecution further alleges that Kavundira possessed prior knowledge of the compensation process and the amounts due to the cooperative.
Lawyer Julius Kirya, the proprietor of Kirya & Co Advocates, faces charges of stealing by agent and money laundering arising from his firm’s handling of the compensation funds.
Meanwhile, MPs Michael Mawanda, Paul Akamba, and Ignatius Mudimi Wamakuyu are accused of receiving stolen property and participating in the diversion of public funds.
Court documents indicate that Mawanda allegedly received Shs1 billion in 2021, which prosecutors claim was used to settle debts owed by Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society. He is also accused of receiving an additional Shs200 million to clear liabilities arising from Commercial Division High Court Civil Case No. 28 of 2020.
The State further alleges that between 2019 and 2023, the accused persons and others still at large conspired to defraud the Government of Uganda of approximately Shs3.4 billion intended for compensation purposes.
The origins of the compensation programme date back to the 2016/17 financial year, when government established an inter-ministerial committee led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to verify claims by cooperative societies seeking compensation for property and assets lost during past wars and political insurgencies.
Prior to the committee’s creation, such claims were processed by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, which paid out approximately Shs6.97 billion to various cooperative unions and societies.
Records indicate that between the 2016/17 and 2022/23 financial years, compensation payments amounting to more than Shs137.86 billion were processed through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
