The Head of Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Matthew Bagonza, has been charged with abuse of office and money laundering over transfer of Shs171.7 million from an account associated with the presidential initiative to his personal bank account.
Bagonza, 39, appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala on Thursday, September 17, 2026, but did not take plea after the court was found not to have jurisdiction to handle the money laundering charge.
According to a Uganda Police charge sheet dated September 16 and signed by Lino Anguzu, Director of Public Prosecutions, Bagonza faces two counts arising from his position as Head of Secretariat at PACEID and his alleged handling of funds linked to the initiative.
The first count is abuse of office, contrary to Section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, Cap. 116.
Police allege that in January 2024, while employed as Head of Secretariat at PACEID under the Office of the President, Bagonza abused the authority of his office by “irregularly registering and incorporating Presidential Initiative on Export and Industrial Development,” a private limited company.
The charge sheet alleges that the company had objectives similar to those of PACEID, Bagonza’s employer, and that his alleged action was prejudicial to the interests of the Government of Uganda.
The second count is money laundering, contrary to Sections 3(a), 119 and 139(10)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Cap. 118.
In the money laundering charge, police allege that Bagonza and other suspects who have not yet been arrested committed the offence between September 1, 2023 and August 30, 2026 at Housing Finance Bank’s Kololo Branch.
“Bagonza Matthew and others still at large … intentionally transferred property to wit funds totalling to UGX 171,725,634,” the charge sheet states.
The prosecution alleges that the Shs171,725,634 was transferred from Account No. 1100273525, which Bagonza allegedly opened in the names of “Office of the President-Presidential on Export and Industrial Development.”
According to the charge sheet, the money was subsequently transferred to Bagonza’s personal Account No. 1100278763 at Housing Finance Bank, Kololo Branch, held in his name.
Police further allege that the transfer was made for the purpose of concealing and disguising the alleged illicit origin of the funds.
The charge sheet states that Bagonza allegedly made the transfer “while knowing or having reason to believe that the said funds were proceeds of crime.”
The allegation places the disputed transactions over a period of almost three years, although the charge sheet does not provide details in the document on the individual transactions that allegedly made up the Shs171.7 million.
The prosecution is therefore expected to provide evidence showing how the funds were allegedly moved, the circumstances under which the accounts were opened and operated, and the basis for its allegation that the money constituted proceeds of crime.
Bagonza is a senior official at PACEID, where he serves as Head of Secretariat. He has been involved in the committee’s engagements on Uganda’s export and industrial development agenda, including programmes aimed at expanding markets for Ugandan products. PACEID’s official website identifies him as Head of Secretariat.
In July 2026, Bagonza was part of a PACEID delegation led by chairman Odrek Rwabwogo during engagements with Nigerian officials on trade and investment opportunities between Uganda and Nigeria. The discussions covered market access, regulatory barriers, pharmaceuticals, customs procedures and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
His arrest and prosecution come amid a period of public attention surrounding PACEID and its operations. The committee recently said it was concerned about Bagonza’s detention and that it had instructed lawyers to establish where he was being held, understand the charges against him and ensure that due process was followed.
PACEID operates under the Office of the President and is tasked with supporting Uganda’s export growth and industrial development agenda, including efforts to address barriers affecting exporters and expand access to international markets.
Bagonza’s case will now proceed through the judicial process, with the prosecution required to establish the allegations contained in the charge sheet before a competent court.
