A whistleblower has come forward with serious concerns about corruption and abuse of office within the Ministry of Works and Transport, pointing directly at a senior official, Mr. Katushabe Winston. The whistleblower claims that despite making a formal protected disclosure to the police in May 2023, the case is being delayed without clear explanation and they now fear for their safety, dignity, and career.
According to the Whistleblower’s Protection Act of 2010, any person who reports wrongdoing in government or public institutions is entitled to protection. However, the whistleblower says this law is not being upheld in their case.
They reported the alleged embezzlement and abuse of public funds by Mr. Katushabe Winston to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) on 12th May 2023. A receipt of the disclosure was provided as proof that the report was formally received.
However, after nearly one year and eight months, the whistleblower says there has been no meaningful progress on the case. Whenever they try to follow up with the officers handling the file at CID headquarters in Kibuli, they are told that the case file is with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Recently, CID officers advised the whistleblower to directly request an update from the DPP.
The delay, the whistleblower warns, is not only frustrating but dangerous. “The longer this case drags on, the more likely I am to lose the protection I’m supposed to get under the Whistleblowers Act,” the whistleblower stated. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
The whistleblower also says they have faced retaliation. After making the disclosure, they were reportedly removed from their office and forced to share a workspace with junior officers, even though the Solicitor General had advised that their removal was illegal. “I was appointed to that position by the Public Service Commission. This action is not just disrespectful but unlawful,” they explained.
Adding to their concern, the whistleblower believes that some people are actively working to victimize and silence them. They say they have suffered discrimination and malice and are now being targeted by people who see them as a threat to corrupt practices.
The whistleblower has also called for a forensic audit by the Auditor General’s office and insists that their disclosure was not frivolous but made in good faith to protect public funds.
In a passionate appeal, they wrote: “I request that this matter be concluded fairly, reasonably, and objectively. Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done.”
This case raises serious questions about how Uganda treats whistleblowers who try to do the right thing. With over a year of silence and no clear action taken, it remains to be seen whether this whistleblower will get the justice and protection they deserve—or become a cautionary tale for others afraid to speak up.
