The State House Anti-Corruption Unit is investigating the leadership of the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) over allegations of defrauding President Museveni in a failed Shs 2.5 billion project last year.

The project, titled “Peace Support and Security Protection in the Greater Masaka Region,” never materialized, according to investigators. Documents reveal that State House had already disbursed Shs 300 million as the first instalment before halting further funding upon realizing the president had been misled.

At the Center of the alleged fraud are Rev Fr. Constantine Mbonabingi, who was the UJCC executive secretary at the time and is now the first bishop of Juba and All South Sudan, and Rev Fr. Daniel Musiitwa, UJCC’s deputy executive secretary in charge of finance and administration.

On October 16, 2021, a delegation from the UJCC, led by Church of Uganda Archbishop Dr Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, Rev Fr. Mbonabingi, Rev Fr. Musiitwa, and UJCC programs officer David Muzaale, visited President Museveni at State House. They sought funding for two projects: the Peace Support and Security Protection initiative and a request for Shs 7 billion to recapitalize the Ecumenical Church Loan Fund Uganda Ltd (ECLOF).

Notably absent from the delegation were key UJCC board members, such as the provincial secretary of the Church of Uganda, the secretary-general of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, and the vicar general of the Uganda Orthodox Church.

Following the meeting, Museveni directed then Principal Private Secretary Kenneth Omona and State House Comptroller Jane Barekye to release the requested funds. In June 2023, Shs 300 million was transferred to a new UJCC Absa bank account, with Mbonabingi and Musiitwa as the account signatories.

The investigation reveals that the Shs 300 million was withdrawn and diverted for unclear purposes. After receiving complaints from UJCC members, State House suspended any further disbursements to the council.

Investigators are now seeking to determine how the funds were used and why Rev Fr. Constantine Mbonabingi and Rev Fr. Daniel Musiitwa created a new bank account without the knowledge of Bishop Anthony Zziwa, the chairperson of the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC).

“This is not only a gross abuse of public funds and a breach of the trust we placed in men of God, but it also contravenes several provisions of the Public Finance Management Act. We are ashamed, embarrassed and disappointed by these actions,” said a source at State House, who requested anonymity.

FURTHER COMPLICATIONS

It is also reported that the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has frozen UJCC accounts in an effort to recover Shs 92 million in unpaid taxes. However, a source claims that UJCC has opened additional bank accounts to manage donor funds.

Additionally, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has instituted legal proceedings against UJCC for deducting and failing to remit over Shs 216 million in staff benefits. In recent years, several donors—including the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Democratic Governance Facility (DGF), DIAKONIA, Faith to Action, and the Church of Sweden—have suspended funding to UJCC due to allegations of corruption and misuse of donor funds.

Among the few partners still working with UJCC are FECLAHA, AACC, and the African Union (AU), but they now send their own staff to manage financial matters due to lack of trust in UJCC’s management. JISRA is currently the only project still being funded through UJCC, but concerns have arisen over the misuse of these funds.

Allegedly, Fr. Musiitwa, a project officer named William, and an assistant accountant named Hellen are the primary beneficiaries of the project’s finances. There are further claims that Hellen has used JISRA funds to build a new house.

ABOUT UJCC

The UJCC board of trustees is composed of nine members, including three bishops representing the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church of Uganda, and the Orthodox Church.

In addition to the bishops, three technical officials serve on the board: the provincial secretary of the Church of Uganda, the secretary general of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, and the vicar general of the Uganda Orthodox Church.

These technical experts are typically involved in meetings to provide advice and oversight, but Fr. Musiitwa allegedly excluded them from recent discussions to avoid scrutiny. When contacted for comment, Fr. Mbonabingi promised to consult and respond, but by press time, he had not yet followed up with our reporter. By Written by GEOFREY SERUGO, The Observer