Parliament’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Chris Ariko Obore, and seven other senior officials have been arrested by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) following the corruption scandals Parliament in recent years.
The eight officials are currently being held at the IGG headquarters in Kampala and are expected to be arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court as investigators conclude inquiries into alleged corruption, abuse of office, causing financial loss and related offences linked to the management of public resources at Parliament.
The arrests reveal escalation in investigations that have increasingly focused on senior officials who occupied key administrative positions within the Parliamentary Commission during the tenure of former Speaker Anita Annet Among. Many of the officials were regarded as members of the former Speaker’s close administrative circle, having worked directly with her on the day-to-day running of Parliament and the implementation of decisions made by the Commission.
Among those arrested is Chris Ariko Obore, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs, who has served as Parliament’s chief spokesperson for years. Obore has been the public face of the institution, responsible for managing Parliament’s communications, media relations, public information, and coordinating official responses on behalf of the legislature.
Also in custody is Adilo Daniel, the Director of Human Resource. As head of the Human Resource Directorate, Adilo has been responsible for recruitment, staff welfare, promotions, disciplinary processes and overseeing personnel management within Parliament.
Investigators also arrested Okema Leonard, who served as Executive Secretary in the Office of the Speaker. His office played a central role in coordinating the Speaker’s official programmes, handling administrative correspondence and facilitating the execution of decisions taken by the Speaker’s office.
Another suspect is Rajab Kaaya Ssemalulu, a Principal Research Officer attached to Parliament. His responsibilities included providing technical research, policy analysis and legislative support to Members of Parliament and parliamentary committees.
The list also includes Okwi Emmanuel Emuron, the Principal Protocol Officer. He has been responsible for organising official ceremonies, receiving dignitaries, coordinating state protocol and managing high-level parliamentary events involving both local and international delegations.
Itute Stella, a Personal Assistant at Parliament, was also arrested. She served in a sensitive administrative role that involved coordinating schedules, handling official documentation and providing executive support within Parliament’s leadership structures.
The IGG further arrested Otebata Vincent, the Capacity Development Officer. His office was responsible for planning and coordinating staff training programmes, institutional capacity-building initiatives and professional development aimed at strengthening Parliament’s workforce.
The eighth suspect is Murebe Methods, the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Parliamentary Cooperative Savings and Credit Society (SACCO). As head of the SACCO, he has overseen the management of members’ savings, loans and other financial services offered to parliamentary staff.
The arrests come as the Inspectorate of Government widens investigations into allegations of financial impropriety within Parliament, with detectives examining procurement processes, staff-related expenditures, administrative payments and other transactions suspected to have resulted in the misuse of public funds.
The latest developments also revive scrutiny of the administration of former Speaker Anita Among, under whose leadership the arrested officials served. During her tenure, several of the officials occupied strategic positions and were widely perceived as trusted members of her inner administrative team because of the influence their offices wielded in the running of Parliament.
Former Speaker Among has herself previously come under investigation over allegations of abuse of office, corruption and causing financial loss arising from decisions made during her leadership of Parliament. She has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that all financial decisions and expenditures were approved through the Parliamentary Commission and complied with established procedures.
One of the most controversial decisions during her tenure was Parliament’s acquisition of a luxury Rolls-Royce Cullinan for the Speaker’s office, a purchase that raised public outrage. Critics questioned the justification for acquiring such an expensive vehicle at a time when the country was grappling with economic challenges and many critical sectors remained underfunded.
The controversy over the Rolls-Royce, together with allegations surrounding service awards, procurement, classified expenditure and other parliamentary spending, fueled public demands for accountability and prompted anti-corruption agencies to intensify investigations into the institution’s financial management.
Although the Inspectorate of Government has not yet publicly disclosed the specific charges each suspect will face, sources familiar with the investigations indicate that prosecutors are preparing corruption-related charges under the Anti-Corruption Act before presenting the suspects before the Anti-Corruption Court.
The arrests represent the ongoing campaign against corruption and Parliament’s financial mismanagement scandals.
