KABAFUNZAKI! Here’s All You Need to Know About Ex-Minister’s Conviction

The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has convicted Herbert Kabafunzaki, a former junior labour minister, of corruption.

In 2017, Kabafunzaki was charged with two counts of corruption contrary to section 2 (a) and 26 of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009 and one count of conspiracy contrary to section 390 of the penal code Act.

The minister was arrested on April 08, 2017 at the Kampala Serena Hotel.

Prosecution alleged that on the fateful April 2017 day, while at Kampala Serena Hotel, directly solicited Shs15m from Hamid Mohammed, the Chairman of AYA Group of Companies, to help clear his name of sexual harassment allegations.

The state further claimed that while at Kampala Serena Hotel on the same day of his arrest, Kabafunzaki, also former Rukiga MP, directly received a Shs5m bribe to help clear Mohammed of sexual harassment allegations.

Prosecution further alleged that between April 06 and April 07, Kabafunzaki conspired with Bruce Lubowa, an interior designer in Wakiso District, to solicit a Shs15m bribe from tycoon Mohammed Hamid of AYA.

Today, court presided over by Justice Margaret Tibulya convicted Kabafunzaki of corruption charges.

Upon his conviction, Justice Tibulya also fined Kabafunzaki Shs10m.

She also pronounced a three-year sentence in case the ex-minister fails to pay the Shs10m fine.

Tibulya also barred Kabafunzaki from holding office for the next 10 years.

The judge also issued a warrant of arrest against Kabafunzaki.

His wife Doreen had told court that the ex-minister’s (her husband’s) whereabouts remained unknown, something which had angered Tibulya who asked what had stopped her from reporting a case of a missing person with the Uganda Police Force (UPF).