KAMPALA, Uganda — The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Francis Mwebesa, has ordered the head of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), James Kasigwa, to take mandatory leave, effectively removing him from office while a high-level inquiry investigates claims of misconduct, mismanagement, and corruption.
The directive, contained in an Oct. 7 letter from Mwebesa to Kasigwa, mandates 30 working days of annual leave, starting today, Oct. 15, 2025—the very day the leave was set to begin.
The minister stated the abrupt sidelining was necessary to “expedite and facilitate” a sweeping assessment by the National Standards Council, which has been tasked with verifying the validity of the allegations leveled against the agency’s executive director. The reported claims against Kasigwa include insubordination, impropriety, mismanagement, and corruption.
As the investigation proceeds, Patricia Bageine Ejalu, the Deputy Executive Director in charge of Standards, has been installed as the acting executive director of UNBS.
The formal transition of authority was scheduled for yesterday, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, supervised by Council Chairperson James Kalibbala.
Minister Mwebesa has put the National Standards Council under pressure—demanding they complete their fact-finding mission and submit a detailed report within a stringent two-week window.
The minister emphasized that the council’s findings and recommendations will be the sole basis for his final decision regarding Kasigwa’s tenure.
The council is expected to present its conclusions to the minister during a special meeting, after which a final decision will be publicly communicated.
Neither Kasigwa nor the UNBS has offered an official public comment on the matter.
