By Spy Uganda
Uganda’s tax administration is staring at a potentially unprecedented paralysis after the suspension of dozens of senior customs officers triggered a backlash inside the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), while traders in the capital prepared their own protest against what they call punitive tax policies.
On 9 August 2025, URA’s Acting Commissioner for Customs ordered 32 senior officers—some with more than three decades of service—onto compulsory leave pending investigations into alleged irregularities in consignment clearances. The directive required them to hand over their duties immediately and stay away from work for at least 15 days.
The suspensions affected some of the most experienced figures in the agency, including Humphrey Agaba, Dennis Maliamungu, Faith Nimusiima, Patricia Musiitwa, Showali Kigozi, and Major Cherotwo Zaina. The shake-up has been described by insiders as a “brutal purge” designed to clear space for younger recruits more loyal to the current leadership.
“We are being offloaded to create space for his people. Our ‘crime’ is simply being here too long,” one veteran officer told the BBC on condition of anonymity.
The decision has fuelled talk of a nationwide strike by URA staff. Workers warn that unless the suspensions are reversed, operations at border posts, customs depots, and tax collection hubs could grind to a halt within days.
At the same time, pressure is building outside the authority. The Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), representing thousands of shop owners, has announced it will stage a citywide shutdown beginning 19 August. The traders accuse URA of imposing “abnormal and high taxes”, tolerating unfair competition from Chinese investors in retail, and enforcing a controversial “kilogram tax” on garments.
The overlapping disputes—inside URA and among the traders it regulates—pose the risk of a double shock to Uganda’s economy. Border operations are critical for customs revenue, while Kampala’s wholesale and retail markets are central to urban livelihoods and government tax receipts.
Analysts say the timing of the standoff is especially perilous. Uganda is battling inflationary pressures, and a disruption to trade flows could push up the cost of consumer goods while cutting off government revenue.
Despite the mounting tension, URA Commissioner General John Rujoki Musinguzi’s silence has only deepened resentment among staff and the business community. Inside URA, fear of reprisals is giving way to anger, while outside, the private sector is rallying behind the traders’ demands.
If both protests proceed, next week could witness the largest coordinated challenge to URA’s leadership in its 33-year history—a moment that would test the resilience of Uganda’s tax administration and the government’s ability to navigate simultaneous institutional and economic unrest.
