KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan security agencies are preparing to raid the properties of Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, security sources said Sunday, signaling a dramatic escalation in a sweeping corruption investigation targeting the highest levels of the outgoing parliament.
The anticipated operation follows a high-profile weekend raid on the home of former Speaker Anita Among and comes amid mounting public pressure over allegations of illicit enrichment and systemic theft of public resources.
Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media on an ongoing investigation, indicated that authorities are finalizing plans to search Tayebwa’s residences. The impending raids aim to verify assets and investigate potential links to the financial scandals that plagued the 11th Parliament, which Tayebwa co-led since 2022.
The imminent police action coincides with a fresh wave of public allegations regarding Tayebwa’s wealth. Over the weekend, Andrew Natumanya, an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker who posts under the online alias Tabz, claimed the deputy speaker recently constructed a 13 billion UGX farmhouse, complete with an aeropad, along the Mbarara-Masaka highway.
Natumanya, a press freedom activist closely associated with opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi and the National Unity Platform, also alleged questionable land acquisitions by Tayebwa in Kazo, Kiruhura, from descendants of historically wealthy families. In his posts, Natumanya warned the deputy speaker and his associates to prepare for visitors that no one likes to host — a widely interpreted reference to law enforcement.
Tayebwa, who was sworn in Friday as the lawmaker for Ruhinda North, has not publicly responded to the latest farmhouse allegations. However, he has consistently denied any involvement in financial impropriety or corrupt land deals. He previously dismissed claims of illicit payouts to lawmakers as baseless street talk designed to tarnish the legislature’s image, and recently urged accountants to take the lead in fighting graft.
The wider investigation, spearheaded by the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Inspectorate of Government, is probing a series of controversies that occurred under Among and Tayebwa’s watch. These include the disappearance of buses procured for a Commonwealth conference, the diversion of roofing materials meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja, and the disbursement of over 1.7 billion UGX in controversial service awards to parliamentary commissioners.
Public outrage has also focused on lavish spending by the leadership, including the allocation of more than 1 billion UGX for high-end generators at the official residences of the speaker and deputy speaker.
President Yoweri Museveni has publicly condemned the previous parliament’s leadership, describing the squandering of billions of UGX as a betrayal of the public. He recently directed incoming legislators to distance themselves from the corruption that marred the outgoing assembly.
With elections for the 12th Parliament’s leadership scheduled for May 25, the widening probe casts a shadow over Tayebwa’s political future. Analysts suggest the aggressive actions by security forces, combined with Museveni’s vocal displeasure, could severely damage the political prospects of anyone linked to the previous administration’s scandals.
