Kabafunzaki Barred from Holding Public Office After Being Found Guilty of Corruption

The Anti-corruption court in Kampala has convicted former state minister for Labour, Herbert Kabafunzaki on corruption charges and asked him to pay a fine of Shs10 million or serve a three-year jail term.

Kabafunzaki, a former MP for Rukiga County [2016-2021], now Rukiga District, is also barred from holding public office for a period of 10 years as a result of the same conviction. 

The former minister was charged with two counts of corruption contrary to sections 2 (a) and 26 of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009 and one count of conspiracy contrary to section 390 of the penal code Act.

Kabafunzaki who was arrested on April 8, 2017, is jointly charged with two others, who include Mr Brian Mugabo, his political assistant, and Mr Bruce Lubowa, an interior designer in Wakiso District.

During the course of the trial, Kabafunzaki reportedly went missing prompting the presiding judge to push his wife, Ms Doreen Kabafunzaki, to produce him in court, saying she did not believe that she did not know the whereabouts of her husband.

Presiding over the matter, Justice Margret Tibulya reasoned that Ms Kabafunzaki did not report a matter of a missing person at the nearest police station.

Under the count of corruption, the prosecution says on April 8, 2017, while performing his duties as minister at Kampala Serena Hotel, Kabafunzaki directly solicited Shs15m from Mr Hamid as gratification for clearing his name from allegations of sexual harassment.
In court count two of corruption, the state alleges that on the same day, the minister directly accepted Shs5m as gratification from Hamid.

In the third count of conspiracy to commit a felony, the State said between April 6 and 8, 2017, Mr Kabafunzaki conspired with Mr Lubowa to solicit a gratification of Shs15m from Hamid.