Serious questions are emerging over delays in Uganda’s justice system after the high-profile corruption trial involving former Trade Ministry Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali and MP Michael Mawanda stalled for nearly a year without being heard.
The case, which revolves around a controversial Shs 3.8 billion payout, had initially sparked public outrage, but has since gone quiet, raising eyebrows over what critics call “justice delayed.”
Court records reveal that despite the weight of the allegations and the billions at stake, the matter has remained largely dormant, with no substantive hearing taking place.
The last major development was on April 17, 2026, when Anti-Corruption Court judge Jane Okuo Kajuga pushed the case to May 29, pending a crucial ruling from the Constitutional Court.
At the center of the delay is a petition filed by Busiki County MP Paul Akamba, one of the accused, who claims he was tortured during his arrest—an argument that could shake the entire trial if upheld.
The State, led by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, has lined up a heavyweight prosecution against Ssali and her co-accused, including legislators Mawanda (Igara East) and Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi (Elgon County), lawyer Julius Kirya, Akamba, and Leonard Kavundira.
They are battling accusations linked to the alleged irregular release of Shs 3.8 billion meant for Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society in Bulambuli District.
Prosecutors claim Ssali, then a powerful accounting officer, abused her authority by sneaking the cooperative onto a compensation list despite it not appearing in the official budget.
She is also accused of authorising hefty payments to Kirya & Co Advocates in violation of Treasury rules—moves said to have caused financial loss to government.
The State further alleges that between 2019 and 2023, the accused orchestrated a scheme to defraud government of up to Shs 3.4 billion.
Mawanda, on his part, is said to have received Shs 1 billion and an extra Shs 200 million linked to settling debts, while Kavundira is accused of influencing key decisions, including switching legal representation for the cooperative.
Despite the explosive claims, all the accused have denied wrongdoing.
Now, with the case stuck in legal limbo, observers are questioning whether justice will be served—or buried under endless adjournments.
With billions involved and powerful figures on the spot, the stalled trial is fast becoming a symbol of the slow grind of accountability in Uganda.
