President Yoweri Museveni has directed a comprehensive review of employment and labour disputes involving the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), a move that comes amid growing scrutiny of the tax body’s handling of disciplinary processes, including the controversial decision to keep several senior officials on prolonged paid garden leave despite internal investigations reportedly finding no case against them.
In a letter dated June 30, 2026, Kiconco Kellen Mugyende, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Taxation, informed the Registrar of the Industrial Court that the request was being made “pursuant to a directive from H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda.”
The letter seeks extensive information on all employment and labour disputes involving URA over the last eight years to facilitate what it describes as a comprehensive assessment of the Authority’s institutional governance, human resource management, accountability and operational efficiency.
Among the information requested are a complete list of all labour disputes involving URA, summaries of the cases, judgments delivered in favour of and against the Authority, pending matters, legal principles established by the Industrial Court, weaknesses identified in URA’s human resource practices, financial exposure arising from employment litigation, and statistical reports relating to labour disputes.
“The purpose of this request is to facilitate a comprehensive review of URA’s employment and labour disputes over the past eight years,” the letter states, adding that the information will support an evaluation of governance and accountability within the institution.
The President’s directive comes against the backdrop of mounting concerns over URA’s internal disciplinary processes, particularly the handling of several senior officials, including assistant commissioners, who were initially suspended for one month before being placed on an additional three months of paid garden leave.
Sources familiar with the matter say the officials were suspended as internal investigations commenced.
However, after the expiry of the initial suspension, they were informed that they would remain on three months’ garden leave without formal disciplinary charges or explanation.
The decision reportedly drew the attention of the URA Board chaired by Emmanuel Katongole, with sources saying Board members questioned the wisdom of continuing to pay salaries and benefits to officials who had been instructed to remain away from work for months.
According to the sources, the Board argued that if the affected officials had committed misconduct, management should proceed with the disciplinary process provided for under the law and the URA Human Resource Manual. Conversely, if investigations had established no wrongdoing, the officials should have been allowed to resume duty instead of remaining on paid leave at taxpayers’ expense.
Documents seen by this publication show that at least two of the affected officials formally sought reinstatement after the expiry of their initial suspension.
In separate letters addressed to the Commissioner General, Olugo Setty and Ruth Chebet stated that they had fully cooperated with investigations and had been informed that no personal wrongdoing had been established against them. Both requested to be allowed to resume work, arguing that the continued garden leave had no legal or administrative justification. Chebet further cited Section 11.2(g) of the URA Human Resource Manual in support of her request.
Multiple sources familiar with the investigations further told this publication that the internal inquiries reportedly did not produce sufficient evidence to warrant disciplinary action against several of the suspended officials, leaving questions as to why they remained on prolonged paid garden leave.
Labour experts say unresolved disciplinary processes and prolonged paid leave can expose public institutions to unnecessary financial costs and litigation while undermining staff morale and public confidence in administrative fairness.
It remains unclear whether the President’s directive was prompted by any specific employment dispute or reflects broader concerns over URA’s human resource management.
However, the scope of the information requested from the Industrial Court suggests State House intends to closely examine the Authority’s employment record, governance standards and disciplinary practices over nearly a decade.
The Industrial Court has been requested to furnish the information to the Senior Presidential Advisor on Taxation to facilitate the review ordered by the President.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner General of URA, John Musinguzi Rujoki for a comment were unsuccessful by press time as his known phone number couldn’t go through.
