Former long-serving Commissioner at the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Dickens Kateshumbwa is living on tenterhooks with security tightening the noose around him after he failed to definitively give an explanation over how he accumulated his massive wealth.
Security took interest in the source of Kateshumbwa’s wealth after it emerged that he owns a fleet of long-haul trucks and trailers estimated to be in excess of $1m while he also owns a top Clearing and Forwarding firm.
The Clearing and Forwarding industry is one of the most lucrative and security is following up an intelligence tip that Kateshumbwa used his office of the Commissioner Customs to ensure that all money-spinning clearing and forwarding clearances were managed by his firm, raising questions of conflict of interest.
Kateshumbwa served as Commissioner Customs for over 12 years and was named Commissioner for Domestic Taxes in 2019 as the tax body’s Director General Doris Akol tried to appease President Museveni, who was angry over the skyrocketing corruption at URA.
With the changes not enough to stem the tide of fiddling of tax-payers money at URA, a furious Museveni sacked the DG Doris Akol and replaced her with John Musinguzi Rujooki.
After getting wind that he was next in the firing line, Kateshumbwa threw in the towel and literally jumped before he was pushed.
Unfortunately for Katesh, as he is popularly known, his fate had already been sealed as spies planted at the tax body by President Museveni had already compiled a dossier about him, detailing how he connives with major importers to rake in millions of dollars while leaving the tax purse in red.
When the dossier was presented to President Museveni, he was particularly angered by the fact that had it not been the massive tax evasion at the tax body, Uganda would be in a potential position of funding its budget without taking in huge high-interest loans.
President Museveni told a meeting that he is tired of government technocrats illegally amassing money and then, faced with inquiries, resigning their positions and opting to run for political offices-just like Kateshubwa is running for the Sheema Municipality seat.
Eagle Online reliably understands that, President Museveni has already met Criminal Investigation Directorate boss Grace Akullo and working head of State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema about impending arrest and prosecution of Kateshubwa over his source of wealth.
Mr. Kateshumba is currently contesting in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries. He is facing the Minister of Science and Innovations Dr. Elodia Tumwesigye who sources allege has been lobbying authorities to probe Katushumba’s source of wealth.
