President Yoweri Museveni has ordered three senior government and police officials to take a six-month forced leave as investigations begin into alleged corruption and extortion linked to Uganda’s National CCTV and Command Centre project.
The directive affects Lt. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr Aggrey Wunyi, the Under-Secretary of the Uganda Police Force, and Assistant Inspector General of Police Felix Baryamwitsakyi.
In a letter dated May 23, 2026, and received by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on May 28, President Museveni said the officials are under investigation over claims that they frustrated payments to a local contractor involved in maintaining the country’s security camera system.
The investigations were triggered by a whistleblower report submitted to the President through the Minister for Internal Affairs, Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire.
According to the report, Dealan Associates Limited, a Ugandan company owned by local scientists, was allegedly denied payment after refusing to pay bribes demanded by officials in the Ministry and the Police force.
“At some point, there was no budget to pay them. Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire liaised with Ministry of Finance and they got Shs31.37 billion. Yet, the Ugandan contractor was not paid because the Ministry officials, through a middleman, Hassan, were demanding for bribes,” part of President Museveni’s letter reads.
The President directed that payments owed to Barbra Katisi, who represented Dealan Associates Limited, be released immediately. He also ordered that the alleged middleman, identified as Hassan Serunjogi, be criminally charged if sufficient evidence is found against him.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has been assigned to lead the investigations over the next six months.
The CCTV project was introduced following a wave of assassinations and violent urban crime between 2017 and 2019, including the killings of former police spokesperson AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi and Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga.
President Museveni explained that the original arrangement involved Chinese technology company Huawei supplying the surveillance cameras. However, after Huawei faced sanctions from the United States and the European Union in 2019, the company partnered with Dealan Associates Limited to handle local maintenance and operations of the security system.
The allegations have now raised fresh concerns about the management and operational state of Uganda’s multi-billion-shilling CCTV network.
In the same letter copied to Vice President Jessica Alupo, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire, and the Inspector General of Police, the President instructed Head of Public Service Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye to appoint an acting Permanent Secretary to ensure normal operations continue at the ministry during the investigations.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the officials named in the directive were unsuccessful by press time.
Got a Story, Advert, or Announcement?
Onion accepts sponsored content, adverts, and news tips.
📧 Email: [email protected]
📱 WhatsApp: +256 703195271