Museveni appoints new Trade Ministry PS, sacks detained Geraldine Ssali

Mr. Alex Kakooza

Kampala July 26—Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has appointed the Principal Private Secretary to the Vice President in the office of the President, Alex Kakooza, new Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, replacing detained Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa.

Geraldine Ssali, now on remand at Luzira Prison, was arrested and charged by the Anti-Corruption court on the July 18, 2024, for abuse of office causing financial loss to government and colluding with Members of Parliament to embezzle Cooperatives funds.

According to an Internal Memo by the Under Secretary Finance and Administration in the Trade Ministry, Alfred Oyo Andima, the ministry’s staff were invited to the Boardroom July 26, 2024 at 10.00am to introduce to them the new Permanent Secretary, Alex Kakooza.

Andima’s memo read “The Minister (Francis Mwebesa) has instructed me to invite you to a meeting on Friday, July 26, at 10.00am in the Ministry Boardroom to welcome Alex Kakooza, our new Permanent Secretary. Please ensure timely attendance.”

Alex Kakooza was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education till 2021when he was appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Vice President in the President’s office.

Mrs Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa

Geraldine Ssali and her co-accused, the three Members of Parliament, Michael Mawanda, Ignatius Wamakuyu and Paul Akamba, a lawyer Julius Kirya Taitankoko and a Principal Cooperative officer, Leonard Kavundira, were July 18, 2024, committed to the High Court by the Anti-Corruption court Chief Magistrate, Joan Aciro, to face charges of abuse of office, causing financial loss to the government and conspiracy to defraud the government of over 3.6 billion shillings meant to compensate war loss victims in Cooperative Unions. The group was remanded to Luzira prison for a month.

Prosecution alleges that during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 financial years while serving as the accounting officer of the Ministry of Trade, Geraldine Ssali irregularly introduced Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society for government compensation despite it was not being listed in the August 2021 supplementary budget. She is accused of making irregular payments amounting to 3.87 billion shillings to Kirya and Company Advocates, which was in violation of Treasury instructions.

Geraldin Ssali and her co-accused are alleged to have conspired to defraud the government of 3.4 billion shillings intended for Buyaka Growers Co-operative Society.