Kerry Howard Mwesigwa.
Kampala lawyer Patrick Kiconco Katabazi has been handed over to Police by lawmakers on the Parliament Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (Cosase) for further investigation. This was prompted by suspicion that Katabazi allegedly misappropriated Shs39 billion, originally intended to settle claims of tea growers.
It is allegd that Lawyer Patrick Kiconco Katabazi’s law firm, Pathways Advocates purportedly received the substantial sum from the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) to settle arrears owed to tea farmers. During his appearance before the committee, Kiconco struggled to provide clear responses, prompting Vice Chairperson Lucy Akello to hand him over to the Parliament police unit.
Tea farmers shared their grievances with the committee, asserting that they had not received their full payments. The Parliament Committee demanded documents and statements from Kiconco and other witnesses involved to comprehensively understand the situation and ensure a fair examination of the allegations.
The spotlight on the alleged misappropriation intensified as the committee probed queries detailed in the Auditor General Report. The report revealed that NAADS disbursed Shs7 billion without an allocated budget in the Financial Year 2021/2022. Kiconco’s assertions clashed with the testimonies of the complainants, prompting the committee to involve criminal investigators.
