The Inspector General of Government (IGG) justice Naluzze Aisha Batala has given 33 individuals until January 8, 2027, to clear outstanding balances totalling Shs 1.689 billion arising from plea-bargain agreements.
Batala warned that failure to pay could trigger further enforcement measures, including prosecution.The individuals have been asked to appear in person at the IG offices with proof of payment to enable the anti-corruption agency to reconcile their outstanding balances against its records.
In a public notice, the Inspectorate said the debts arose from plea-bargain agreements and warned that failure to settle them by the deadline would compel it to institute further enforcement measures.
Topping the list are Umar Katongole and his wife, Hawah Ssengendo, also known as Kawa Bitone, who jointly owe Shs 1 billion. Others include Lillian Ogobi (Shs 88.48 million), Jimmy Patty Odera (Shs 50.08 million), Denis Sebunya (Shs 42.3 million), Bantu Zabulon (Shs 41.89 million), Helen Atai (Shs 33.5 million) and John Idiro (Shs 32.96 million).
The remaining 26 individuals have outstanding balances ranging from Shs 1.82 million to Shs 30.3 million. The Shs 1 billion owed by Katongole and Ssengendo is the largest single amount on the list and relates to a case that dates back several years.
In July 2019, the IGG arrested the couple and charged them before the Anti-Corruption court with illicit enrichment and money laundering.
Prosecutors alleged that between 2008 and 2015, Katongole, then a station engineer at the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) and later a principal engineer at the Ministry of Works, controlled properties valued at about Shs 6.28 billion.
The properties were allegedly far beyond his known legitimate income of approximately Shs 317 million during the same period.
The charges also involved the deposit of nearly Shs 2.85 billion into bank accounts by Ssengendo, who was then a senior community development officer at Wobulenzi Town Council. Prosecutors alleged that the transactions were intended to disguise the source of the funds.
The case dragged on for years before the couple approached the IGG in 2024 seeking an out-of-court settlement. They surrendered three plots of land in Wakiso district, valued at about Shs 1.4 billion, as security and committed to paying at least Shs 1 billion within one year. In return, the criminal charges were withdrawn.
The latest notice indicates that the cash component of the settlement remains unpaid, more than two years after the arrangement was reached.
The ultimatum follows a similar public notice issued earlier this year, in which the IG listed 202 public officials who owed more than Shs 2.3 billion and gave them a deadline to reconcile their balances or face prosecution.
Subsequent reports indicated that some individuals had cleared their debts, while others made partial payments or surrendered property. However, significant amounts remained outstanding, prompting the Inspectorate to continue pursuing the defaulters.
Plea-bargain agreements, governed by the Judicature (Plea Bargain) Rules, 2016, allow accused persons to plead guilty in exchange for concessions such as reduced charges or lighter sentences. The agreements may also require them to refund misappropriated public funds or surrender assets acquired through illicit means.
Where defendants fail to honour the agreed terms, the IGG may pursue enforcement measures, including further criminal proceedings, subject to the applicable legal procedures.
Anti-corruption analysts and opposition politicians have repeatedly questioned the gap between the amounts the IGG orders for recovery and the sums it actually collects.
In its January-June 2026 performance report to parliament, the Inspectorate said it had ordered the recovery of about Shs 41.6 billion but collected only Shs 5.7 billion in cash and assets during the same period.
Critics argue that public notices and payment deadlines alone are insufficient without stronger asset-tracing capacity, faster court processes and the political will to pursue high-value recovery cases to their conclusion.