President Yoweri Museveni’s decision to send several top officials of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) on leave pending investigations followed a bitter internal dispute that had been building for months, documents and insiders have revealed.
At the centre of the controversy is Gilbert Agaba, the Commissioner for Business Registration, whose disagreements with URSB management and the Board allegedly triggered a chain of events that eventually reached the Office of the Attorney General and State House.
The presidential directive has affected several senior officials, including Registrar General Mercy Kainobwisho, Assistant Commissioner for Business Registration Walid Kule, Commissioner for ICT Arthur Kwesiga and Deputy Registrar General for Finance and Administration Alex Anganya.
The officials were ordered to step aside as investigations into allegations including embezzlement of government funds, abuse of office, maladministration, money laundering and institutional mismanagement at URSB get underway.
However, documents reviewed in connection with the matter indicate that the crisis did not begin with the presidential directive.
THE INTERNAL BATTLE
According to an internal brief, URSB management had received a series of complaints concerning Agaba’s leadership, performance, communication and working relationships within the Business Registration Department.
The concerns reportedly went beyond a single disagreement and were said to have affected staff relations, departmental coordination and service delivery.
The complaints also allegedly existed before Agaba took over his current position. Similar concerns about teamwork, cohesion and leadership had reportedly been raised during his previous tenure as Commissioner for Intellectual Property.
After his transfer to Business Registration, management reportedly expected him to strengthen leadership within the department. Instead, the situation allegedly deteriorated further.
Among the complaints were allegations that Agaba was frequently absent from duty and was not sufficiently available to provide direction to staff. Management also raised concerns about supervision, coordination and the failure to hold regular departmental and management meetings.
Communication between Agaba and some of his immediate supervisees was also reportedly strained.
Management further accused him of failing to implement certain decisions and provide feedback on assigned tasks, while broader concerns were raised about teamwork, accountability, planning and performance.
Another serious issue reportedly involved allegations of repeated insubordination against institutional leadership.
The URSB Board eventually took disciplinary action against Agaba, with measures reportedly aimed at improving his leadership and governance approach, restoring professional working relationships and giving him an opportunity to address the concerns raised against him.
However, Agaba reportedly rejected both the findings and the sanctions.
ATTORNEY GENERAL ENTERS THE DISPUTE
Instead of accepting the disciplinary measures, Agaba reportedly raised allegations of criminal conduct and misuse of institutional resources against some members of management and took the matter outside URSB.
The dispute eventually reached Attorney General Dr Sam Mayanja, who subsequently escalated the matter to President Museveni.
That development transformed what had initially been an internal administrative and disciplinary dispute into an issue involving the highest levels of government.
It has also raised questions within URSB about why the matter was handled through the Attorney General rather than directly through the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Nobert Mao, who heads the ministry under which URSB operates.
THE JULY 8 LETTER
A July 8, 2026 letter from Attorney General Sam Mayanja to URSB Board Chairman Ambassador Francis K. Butagira provides an important insight into how the dispute escalated.
The letter, titled “Investigations into Agaba Gilbert, Commissioner Business Registration,” acknowledged that Agaba had brought to the Attorney General’s attention allegations of criminal activities allegedly taking place at URSB.
Mayanja said he had referred the matters to President Museveni for guidance.
He then directed the URSB Board to stop its investigations and inquiries into Agaba and await the President’s guidance.
“This is to direct that you and the URSB Board ceases all investigations/inquiries into Mr. Agaba and await the guidance of His Excellency the President,” the letter stated.
The letter was copied to President Museveni and Minister Nobert Mao, effectively placing the dispute at the centre of a much wider government process.
PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION
The subsequent presidential directive has now widened the investigation beyond the original dispute involving Agaba.
Several senior URSB officials have been sent on leave as authorities investigate allegations of financial impropriety, abuse of office, maladministration, money laundering and broader institutional mismanagement.
The development has put the leadership of the government agency under intense scrutiny as investigators work to establish whether the allegations have merit.
URSB has maintained that its services continue despite the developments at the institution. The Bureau has also sought to reassure stakeholders that it remains committed to transparency, accountability and professionalism.
The unfolding investigation could now determine whether the allegations against individual officials are substantiated and whether deeper institutional problems exist within URSB.
For now, the presidential intervention has turned a long-running internal management dispute into a major government investigation, with the full extent of the controversy yet to emerge.
