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by admin on | 2026-08-18 11:27:46 Last Updated by admin on2026-10-17 19:37:40
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The directive, issued on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, instructs Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao to immediately interdict Kainobwisho over allegations that include embezzlement of government funds, abuse of office, money laundering, institutional mismanagement and maladministration.
The three other officials have also been directed to step aside by the URSB Board while the investigations are ongoing.
They are Deputy Registrar General Alex Aganya, Commissioner for ICT and Innovations Arthur Kwesiga, and Assistant Commissioner for Business Registration Services Walid Kule.
The development represents a major escalation in the ongoing controversy at URSB. What initially emerged as an internal disciplinary dispute involving senior officials has since expanded into a wider government investigation after the matter reached President Museveni and prompted an audit of the agency.
According to the Inspectorate of Government, Kainobwisho's interdiction is intended to ensure that the ongoing investigations are conducted without possible interference.
The Inspectorate stated that public interest requires the Registrar General to be suspended from exercising the powers and responsibilities of her office while the investigation continues.
The directive is based on Article 230 of the Constitution and Section 13(6) of the Inspectorate of Government Act, which give the IGG authority to issue orders and directions deemed necessary under the circumstances.
Minister Norbert Mao has been directed, in consultation with the URSB Board, to establish interim arrangements to ensure that the functions of the Registrar General continue during the period of interdiction.
URSB Board Chairperson Francis Butagira has similarly been instructed to make temporary arrangements for the responsibilities previously handled by Aganya, Kwesiga and Kule.
The board has also been directed to cooperate fully with the investigation and provide the Inspectorate with any assistance and information required.
In a separate directive, the IGG has ordered Minister Mao to suspend URSB's residential Executive Training programme at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi.
The programme was scheduled to run from Sunday, August 16, to Friday, August 21, 2026.
The Inspectorate directed that the training remain suspended until the investigation is completed or further instructions are issued.
The order comes shortly after URSB confirmed that an institutional audit was underway following reports that several senior officials had been directed to step aside.
On Monday, August 17, URSB said the audit was being carried out in accordance with established procedures and applicable laws. The bureau, however, did not provide details about the scope of the audit or identify the officials affected at the time.
URSB communications manager Steven Douglas Baryevuga said the institution remained committed to ensuring that services to clients and partners continued without interruption.
The latest IGG directive has now formally identified the officials affected and introduced additional measures concerning the bureau's senior management.
The latest intervention follows President Yoweri Museveni's July 24 directive to Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao, ordering several senior URSB officials to step aside pending an audit of the institution.
Those named included Kainobwisho, Kule, Kwesiga and Aganya.
The President also directed the IGG to lead the investigation, with support from State House auditors Kawawa and Tumwiine.
Museveni's intervention followed the escalation of allegations involving financial misconduct and institutional management at URSB, which had initially emerged from an internal dispute involving Commissioner for Business Registration Gilbert Agaba.
The President also instructed his Principal Private Secretary to summon URSB Board Chairperson Francis Butagira to explain the circumstances surrounding the controversy.
The intervention placed the bureau's board leadership under increased scrutiny as complaints and counter-complaints between Agaba and URSB management continued.
The controversy developed after Agaba became involved in a prolonged dispute with URSB management concerning his leadership of the Business Registration Department.
Internal documents reportedly accused him of poor supervision, inadequate coordination, failure to implement management decisions and insubordination.
However, the disciplinary process took a broader turn after Agaba raised allegations of wrongdoing within the institution.
Agaba initially presented his concerns to the URSB Board before submitting similar allegations to external authorities, including the Economic Crimes Division of the Uganda Police Force and the Attorney General.
He maintained that the disciplinary action against him was connected to concerns he had raised regarding alleged corruption, abuse of office and conflicts of interest involving some managers.
In a response dated July 29, Agaba challenged the disciplinary proceedings, arguing that he had reasonable grounds to question the impartiality and good faith of the investigations against him.
Among the concerns he reportedly raised were allegations of inflated contracts involving the development and maintenance of ICT systems, alleged money laundering through the non-individual register project, embezzlement and misappropriation of URSB funds, unauthorised expenditure, irregular procurement practices, fraudulent registrations, weak financial controls and under-collection of revenue.
The allegations remain unproven, and no conclusion of wrongdoing should be drawn until the ongoing investigations establish the facts.
The dispute had reached the Attorney General's office by early July.
On July 8, Attorney General Sam Mayanja wrote to URSB Board Chairperson Francis Butagira, indicating that he was aware of allegations concerning criminal activities at the bureau that had been brought to the attention of the board by Agaba.
Mayanja said he had referred the matter to President Museveni for guidance and instructed the board to halt its own investigations into Agaba pending the President's response.
He directed the board to stop further investigations or inquiries into Agaba and await guidance from the President.
Three weeks later, President Museveni directed the affected senior officials to step aside while an audit was conducted.
The presidential intervention subsequently transformed an internal management dispute into a wider government investigation involving the Inspectorate of Government and State House auditors.
The current investigation also comes against the backdrop of an earlier matter involving URSB officials.
In September 2025, former Inspector General of Government Beti Kamya directed the Registrar General to respond to allegations of abuse of office, influence peddling and conflict of interest concerning Caroline Tusingwire Egesa, who was then serving as URSB board secretary.
Tusingwire had been accused by a whistleblower of facilitating the filing of a allegedly forged board resolution that purportedly appointed herself and Ovia Byarugaba Kasheegu as directors of Nob View Hotel Limited.
Kamya raised concerns that the Registrar General had allegedly failed to act on an application seeking rectification of the alleged forgeries and instead proceeded with another application relating to the disputed ownership of the company.
The outcome of that earlier matter was not immediately clear.
The latest investigation has once again placed the leadership and administration of URSB under scrutiny.
The ongoing probe is expected to establish whether the allegations raised against the officials have merit and whether any criminal, administrative or financial wrongdoing occurred.
The Inspectorate of Government has continued to emphasise the importance of transparency, accountability and integrity in the conduct of public affairs.
URSB plays a critical role in Uganda's public administration. The bureau is responsible for registering companies and businesses, administering intellectual property rights and providing various legal registration services.
The investigation is therefore significant not only for the officials involved but also for the continuity and integrity of key registration services provided to businesses and the public.
The IGG has directed that appropriate interim arrangements be put in place during the interdictions to ensure that URSB operations and public services continue without disruption.
Important: The allegations reported in this story remain allegations. The interdiction and investigation do not, by themselves, establish criminal or administrative liability. The relevant authorities are expected to determine the facts through the ongoing investigative process.
