Ex-Works engineer charged with corruption

Eng. Robert Kakiiza, the Former Principal Civil Engineer in the Ministry of Works and Transport during a workshop. He has been charged with abuse of office and corruption. (PHOTO/File)

KAMPALA – The Former Principal Civil Engineer in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Eng. Robert Kakiiza has been charged with abuse of office and corruption.

Kakiiza appeared on Monday, August 20, before the Anti-Corruption Court Division of the High Court where he has formally been charged after faking his own death.

He appeared before Justice Lawrence Gidudu and denied the charges preferred against him by the state.

He was ordered to report back to court on September 18, when the trial will resume.

Eng Kakiiza was first interdicted with Local Government Permanent Secretary, John Kashaka Muhanguzi, over the LC bicycles importation in 2012, but he had baffled prosecution after he was declared dead for 9 years.

However, after a tip-off from a whistleblower, he was arrested in April this year by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit that is headed by Lt. Col Edith Nakalema?.

He is already on bail, which was given to him by a lower court.

Court heard that as a member of the evaluation committee appointed by the Ministry of Local Government to oversee the procurement of 70,000 bicycles, Engineer Kakiiza is alleged to have abused the authority of his office and recommended M/S AITEL’s bid as having the minimum past capacity and experience to supply the said bicycles which was not factual.

It is also alleged that Eng Kakiiza neglected his duty to evaluate the bids for the said procurement.

Kakiiza plus his former boss John Kashaka, Sam Emorut Erongot [Local Government Ministry’s Assistant Commissioner Policy and Planning], Timothy Musherure [Project Officer], Adam B. Aluma [Transport Officer] and Robert Mwebaza [the Principal Procurement officer in the Prime Minister’s Office] were all members of the Evaluation Committee that vetted the bicycle deal.

They allegedly caused a financial loss of 4.2billion shillings in the bicycles’ importation scandal.

The 70,000 bicycles were intended for distribution to LC Chairpersons in various parishes, districts and villages across the country to ease their work.

Apart from Eng. Kakiiza the rest were all handed 10 years in prison and have been ordered to refund the money.