A retired deputy town clerk of Jinja Municipal Council, Jofram Waidhuuba, aged 63, faced charges of abuse of office on October 27, 2023. He appeared before Magistrate Esther Asiimwe at the Anti-Corruption Court in Nakasero, Kampala. The charges against Waidhuuba are related to the irregular issuance of transfer forms for Jinja Municipal Council land, in violation of the Anti-Corruption Act’s section 11(1).
The prosecution, represented by the Chief State Attorney from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), alleged that Waidhuuba, during his tenure as the deputy town clerk, misused his position by improperly signing and issuing transfer forms to God Will Agencies Limited. The incident in question took place in 2018 when he transferred a parcel of land designated as LRV JJA 453, Falio 6 plot M23 at Aniyali Amanyi road II, which belonged to Jinja Municipal Council, without the necessary authorization.
Waidhuuba pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on a cash bail of UGX 2 million. Additionally, his two sureties were bonded at a non-cash sum of UGX 25 million.
Furthermore, the court has summoned Waidhuuba’s co-accused, Isaac Tusiime, to appear in court on November 30, 2023. Tusiime faces allegations of fraudulently procuring a certification of title between 2018 and 2022, in his capacity as the director of M/S God Will Agencies Limited. The certificate of title in question pertains to the land described as LRV JJA 453, Falio 6 plot M23 at Aniyali Amanyi road II, which is the property of Jinja Municipal Council.
The legal consequences for these charges are significant. Anyone convicted under section 11(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act may face a prison sentence of up to seven years, a fine not exceeding shilling 5.3 million, or both. Likewise, an individual found guilty under section 190(1) for fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title could be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years, a fine, or both.
