Igara East MP Michael Mawanda has been detained at Natete Police Station.
Mawanda was brought to the station earlier on Tuesday evening to record a statement concerning his alleged involvement in theft, corruption, and attempts to defraud Buyaka Growers Cooperative of funds disbursed by the government for war veterans.
This detention follows the recent summoning of Mawanda and Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi, MP for Bulambuli Constituency, by the Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) amid a broad corruption investigation that has already led to the arrest of several other MPs. Mawanda’s involvement in this investigation has been a focal point, especially given his public dispute with PLU leader Frank Gashumba, who accused him of significant corruption.
The arrest of Mawanda at Natete Police Station adds to the growing list of legislators detained as part of the crackdown on corruption within the government. This investigation has seen MPs Yusuf Mutembuli, Cissy Namujju, and Paul Akamba arrested and charged with corruption related to negotiating kickbacks during the Appropriation Process.
With Mawanda now in police custody, the implications for other implicated MPs, as indicated by the Mwine Mpaaka probe committee report and Speaker Anita Among’s call for MPs to report themselves to the police, are becoming increasingly serious. This detention underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the corruption issues within the cooperative compensation funds, involving significant amounts of money misappropriated from various cooperatives, including West Acholi, Busoga Growers, Uganda Transport Association, West Mengo, Banyankoole Kweterana, and Masaba Cooperatives.