The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lino Anguzu, has withdrawn corruption charges against three Members of Parliament who had been accused of soliciting bribes to influence the budget of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC).
Those cleared are Bunyole East MP Yusuf Mutembuli, Busiki County MP Paul Akamba, and Lwengo District Woman MP Cissy Dionizia Namujju.
The trio had been facing allegations that they demanded a 20 per cent kickback from UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya in exchange for using their positions in Parliament to push for an increased budget for the Commission in the 2024/2025 financial year.
The case drew widespread public attention after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni raised the matter during his State of the Nation Address in June 2024. At the time, the President claimed there was “overwhelming evidence” of corruption involving some MPs, accounting officers, the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Uganda, accusing them of manipulating budget allocations for personal gain.
President Museveni pledged tough action against corruption and suggested the possibility of amnesty for lawmakers who may have been involved.
The DPP’s decision to discontinue the case now brings an abrupt end to one of the most closely watched corruption files linked to Parliament and the national budgeting process.
