By Spy Uganda
A high-stakes investigation into alleged procurement fraud at the Ministry of Works and Transport has entered a critical new phase, after Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa formally delivered a trove of certified documents to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), tightening the spotlight on embattled Transport Regulation Commissioner Winstone Katushabe.
In a letter dated August 7, 2025, Mr. Waiswa confirmed handing over the requested records to police, signalling the ministry’s official cooperation with detectives.
“The purpose of this letter is to forward to you the documents you requested for your further management. All the documents are verified with my names and stamp of certification,” he wrote.
The dossier includes procurement files, bid advertisements, evaluation reports, signed contracts, payment records and employment histories of two ICT officers—David Ruhinda and Brian Matsiko—whose roles were questioned in a whistleblower petition. Investigators believe these materials could reveal inconsistencies in multi-billion-shilling tenders stretching across several financial years.
Shs 5 Billion Question
At the heart of the probe is procurement reference MOWT/NCONS/2019-2020/00006, a Shs 29.5 billion contract covering the archiving of driving permit records, motor vehicle registration files, and the remodelling of key storage facilities at Uganda Railway Station and the URA warehouse.
A whistleblower alleges that while the signed contract reflected a value of Shs 29.4 billion, bid-opening records show contractor Face Technologies submitted a bid of only Shs 24.9 billion—leaving an unexplained Shs 5 billion gap.
The same complaint links Mr. Katushabe to an earlier Shs 3.6 billion digital archiving contract in 2018/19 and at least four other direct procurements awarded to Face Technologies in previous years.
“Parallel ICT Unit” Allegation
The whistleblower, identified as Ronald Amanyire, further accuses the Commissioner of creating a “parallel ICT unit” staffed with two officers on rolling contract renewals, allegedly to maintain tight control over implementation of the disputed projects.
“The objective of this is to ensure everyone on implementation of these fraudulent contracts is under his direct supervision and control,” the petition states.
Wider Anti-Corruption Context
The case unfolds as Uganda grapples with systemic graft that the Inspectorate of Government estimates drains Shs 10 trillion from the economy annually. Infrastructure and transport ministries, with their large procurement budgets, remain among the most corruption-prone sectors. CID sources say the file will track patterns of procurement under the transport regulation docket “for multiple financial years,” raising the prospect of a sweeping inquiry beyond the initial contracts.
Katushabe Pushes Back
Efforts to reach Mr. Katushabe were unsuccessful as his known mobile line remained switched off. However, in earlier correspondence, the Commissioner dismissed the allegations as a mudslinging campaign by Mr. Amanyire, insisting that “steps had been taken to address the situation.”
With Mr. Waiswa’s certified documents now in CID’s custody, investigators are equipped to reconcile the contested procurement trail and test the whistleblower’s explosive claims. The development places Mr. Katushabe squarely at the centre of what could become one of Uganda’s most consequential transport-sector corruption cases in years—one that could expose deep vulnerabilities in the country’s procurement systems and set a precedent for future accountability.
