Jinja City Senior Civil Engineer and Acting Building Control Officer, Alex Obodha Batambuze, has been charged with abuse of office over the alleged irregular issuance of a building permit.
Obodha was arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala on Tuesday following investigations conducted by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Prosecution alleges that on December 8, 2023, while serving as a building control officer, Obodha abused his office by irregularly issuing a development permit to Kakaire Kirunda Ali to construct a boundary wall on Plot 17B, Tabingwa Road, Jinja City.
According to the prosecution, the permit was issued without following the required procedures and without obtaining approval from the relevant Building Committee.
The prosecution further alleges that construction of the boundary wall subsequently blocked a community access road, inconveniencing residents who rely on the road.
Obodha was previously arrested during the “Expose the Corrupt” national campaign led by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi during the campaign’s tour of Eastern Uganda.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit said the investigations were jointly conducted with CID and the ODPP, culminating in Obodha’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
