The Anti-Corruption Court has handed a three-year prison sentence to Mr. Ateng Francis, the former Principal Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Lands, Lira Zonal Office. He was convicted on eleven charges including abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, forgery, uttering false documents, and conspiracy to commit a felony. His conviction marks a major step in the fight against corruption involving public land.
According to the court findings, the crimes took place in January 2018 while Ateng was still serving at the Ministry’s Zonal Office. Together with several accomplices, he used his position to illegally target land belonging to the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC). Ateng facilitated the issuing of an irregular special land title, supervised the separation and allocation of the land, and identified brokers who helped sell it off to private buyers. All this was done without following the legal procedures required for the disposal of government property.
The scheme also involved forging the signature of the then Managing Director of URC. These forged documents were later used to transfer and sell the land, further deepening the fraud. One of his co-accused, Ocen Joseph, had earlier confessed to the same charges and received a two-year custodial sentence.
This case stemmed from a directive issued by the President in 2022, instructing the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, together with the Criminal Investigations Department and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, to thoroughly investigate corruption within the Uganda Railways Corporation. The goal was to ensure that all individuals involved in land theft and mismanagement were fully brought to justice.
The successful prosecution of Ateng Francis sends a strong message that public land must be protected and that corruption within government offices will not be tolerated. It also gives hope that ongoing investigations will continue to expose and punish those who misuse public office for personal gain.
