Bishop Patience and Odrek Rwabwogo Watch Helplessly as Aide Matthew Bagonza is Remanded Over Money Laundering Charges

President Yoweri Museveni’s daughter, Bishop Patience Rwabwogo, and her husband, Odrek Rwabwogo, were among those at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala as Matthew Bagonza, the head of the secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), was brought before court to face money laundering and abuse of office charges.

Bagonza was accused of transferring Shs171 million from PACEID to his personal bank account, forming part of the allegations that have now landed him before the courts.

However, the court did not take his plea because the presiding Anti-Corruption Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the charges. He was subsequently remanded until October 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., when the case is expected to return for further proceedings.

The appearance placed Rwabwogo, the PACEID chairman and Museveni’s son-in-law, in the courtroom as his close aide faced the formal beginning of criminal proceedings.

Bagonza’s prosecution represents a dramatic escalation of a dispute that has unfolded publicly since his arrest in late August and has drawn in some of the country’s most powerful political and security figures.

From PACEID dispute to court

Bagonza’s troubles began weeks ago when he was arrested amid a bitter public disagreement over the status of PACEID.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and Museveni’s son, publicly questioned the legality of PACEID and later announced that the organisation was being dissolved, with its functions expected to be transferred to Operation Wealth Creation.

Rwabwogo pushed back against the assertions concerning the committee he chairs, maintaining that PACEID had been established by President Museveni and operated under the authority of the Office of the President.

The dispute became increasingly personal after Bagonza’s arrest.

Rwabwogo publicly sought information about his aide’s whereabouts and questioned the circumstances surrounding his detention. He also travelled to meet Museveni, according to accounts surrounding the episode.

The confrontation subsequently moved beyond the question of PACEID’s institutional status to allegations of financial wrongdoing involving members of its secretariat.

Bagonza’s appearance in court has now provided a formal judicial forum for the allegations.

Shs171 million at the centre of the case

The money laundering case centres on the alleged movement of Shs171 million from PACEID funds into Bagonza’s personal bank account.

The allegation has not been determined by the court, and Bagonza remains an accused person until the judicial process establishes whether the prosecution’s claims are proved.

The decision not to take his plea was procedural rather than a determination on the substance of the allegations, with the court lacking jurisdiction to proceed with the plea.

His remand means that he will remain in custody until the matter comes up again on October 5.

Rwabwogo stands by aide

Throughout the controversy, Rwabwogo has remained publicly connected to Bagonza, even as the dispute surrounding PACEID drew an increasingly powerful cast of players.

Rwabwogo, a businessman and chairman of PACEID, is married to Bishop Patience Rwabwogo, one of Museveni’s daughters. Their presence at the Anti-Corruption Court underscored the political and institutional weight surrounding Bagonza’s case.

The proceedings also bring into sharper focus the competing positions that have emerged around PACEID.

The committee was created to support Uganda’s export and industrialisation agenda, with responsibilities including promoting exports, developing value chains and helping Ugandan businesses access international markets.

Its operations became the subject of an unusually public dispute after Muhoozi challenged its legality and subsequently announced its dissolution.

Rwabwogo, however, maintained that the committee’s authority came from the President.

A case now before the courts

The latest development separates the criminal case against Bagonza from the wider political dispute over PACEID.

While the controversy over the committee’s mandate has largely played out through public statements, the allegations against Bagonza will now be subjected to the criminal justice process.

At the centre of that case is the prosecution’s allegation that Shs171 million was transferred from PACEID to Bagonza’s personal bank account, alongside the abuse of office allegations.

Bagonza’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 5 at 10:00 a.m.

Until then, the accusations remain allegations, and no finding of criminal liability has been made against him.

Muhoozi previously claimed that his parents forced Odrek Rwabwogo on him, even as he warned MDAs to stop dealing with his brother-in-law’s PACEID or face consequences, as reported Here and There.