A senior engineer in Jinja City Local Government has been charged with abuse of office after allegedly issuing a building permit without following the required procedures, resulting in the construction of a boundary wall that reportedly blocked a community access road.
Obodha Alex Batambuze, the Senior Civil Engineer and Acting Building Control Officer of Jinja City Local Government, was on Tuesday arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court following investigations by the Anti-Graft agency, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Prosecution alleges that on December 8, 2023, Batambuze used his position to irregularly issue a development permit to Kakaire Kirunda Ali to construct a boundary wall on Plot 17B, Tabingwa Road in Jinja City.
Investigators say the permit was issued without following the required procedures and without obtaining approval from the relevant Building Committee.
The construction of the wall is alleged to have blocked a community access road, making it difficult for residents who depended on the road to access their homes and other areas.
The case is part of ongoing efforts by Ugandan authorities to investigate and prosecute suspected corruption and abuse of office among public officials.
Batambuze had earlier been detained during the “Expose the Corrupt” National Campaign, led by the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, during the campaign’s tour of Eastern Uganda.
Following further investigations into the circumstances surrounding the building permit, authorities arrested Batambuze and proceeded with the case before the Anti-Corruption Court.
The allegations against Batambuze remain matters for determination by the court. His arraignment marks the latest action by anti-corruption authorities as they continue to target public officials suspected of abusing their offices and failing to follow established procedures in the delivery of public services.
