Whistleblower rocks Uganda Free Zones Authority: Billions lost, staff silenced

A whistleblower has petitioned President Yoweri Museveni, calling for an investigation into alleged corruption, mismanagement of funds, and unethical conduct by the former management of the Uganda Free Zones Authority (UFZA).

The petition dated December 4, 2024, highlights concerns arising between July 2023 and June 2024. It cites several areas of alleged malpractice, including the construction of the Entebbe Airport Free Zone project, the recruitment of executive director Hez Kimoomi, staffing practices in the Finance and Legal departments, termination of staff, management of Buwaya land, and the handling of associated court cases.

The whistleblower asserts that these matters could be easily verified by investigators. However, the petitioner noted that the ongoing Rationalisation of Agencies programme has hindered access to some key evidence.

Among the specific allegations is the diversion of over Shs 326.3 million, backed by sample payment vouchers, allegedly used for activities unrelated to the approved budget. In some cases, the activities were reportedly not carried out at all, and falsified reports were allegedly submitted.

The whistleblower highlights a payment of Shs 9.1 million made to Tom Nyombi, a senior finance officer seconded from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, for three months effective April 15, 2024. Despite documentation indicating Nyombi worked for 77 days, the petition claims there is no evidence he reported for duty.

His assignment is reportedly missing from UFZA’s records, and his attendance was not logged in the Authority’s biometric system. During this time, the unit’s tasks were reportedly managed by a senior planner already employed by UFZA.

The petition further alleges poor financial management regarding petty cash and advances. It claims there was a lack of receipts or acknowledgments from beneficiaries, inadequate supporting documents, and failure to conduct regular cash counts and reconciliations, contravening established financial guidelines.

Regarding staff training, the whistleblower contends that UFZA’s training programme— costing Shs 202.4 million was misused. Contrary to the Public Service Standing Orders of 2021, training funds were allegedly used to reward loyalists and fund foreign trips for the executive director, rather than to genuinely build staff capacity.

Questions were also raised about the qualifications and appointment of Hez Alinda Kimoomi as executive director. The position, advertised in March 2020, reportedly required experience in Public Administration, Business, or Economics.

However, Kimoomi holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Administration and a master’s degree in Management Studies, qualifications not directly aligned with the advertised requirements.

The whistleblower claims Kimoomi later manipulated the qualifications criteria through the ministry of Public Service to include “Humanities,” allegedly to validate his appointment.

The petition further accuses Kimoomi of creating a toxic work environment, leading to an unusual exodus of senior staff. Several employees reportedly exited UFZA without formal procedures due to internal conflicts, and it is alleged that Kimoomi misled the board about the circumstances of these departures.

The whistleblower asserts that Kimoomi has engaged in writing misleading confidential letters to tarnish the reputations of former employees. The petitioner concludes by warning that unless addressed, these alleged management issues could severely undermine the Authority’s credibility and operations.

REACTION

When contacted for comment, Hez Kimoomi, executive director of UFZA, dismissed the allegations as malicious and baseless.

“You are not the first to contact me about that document. It is rooted in falsehoods, malice, and character assassination, motivated by those coveting positions that have already been filled,” Kimoomi said.

“The funds mentioned were used for capacity development and training, and were drawn from the appropriate budget lines.”

Kimoomi stated that as head of the institution, he had mechanisms for addressing allegations internally, but insisted the whistleblower opted to bypass those processes by petitioning the president directly. In a separate inquiry, Gloria Asio Omaswa, the private press secretary to President Museveni, said, “Let me crosscheck with the legal department and get back to you.”

As of press time, no official response from State House had been provided.