Hon. Otukol Samuel, the Member of Parliament for Pallisa, has been convicted by Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Court on two counts of theft and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.
The conviction was delivered on Friday, March 27, 2026. Otukol was convicted alongside three others:
- Osire Ezekiel – convicted on one count of theft and one count of conspiracy to defraud.
- Odap Francis (former Chief Administrative Officer of Namisindwa District) – convicted on three counts of causing financial loss and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.
- Wamburu Willy (former Acting Chief Financial Officer of Namisindwa District) – convicted on three counts of causing financial loss and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.
The offences were committed in June, October, and November 2019.
Court evidence showed that Otukol Samuel, a director in Samix Uganda Ltd, conspired with Osire Ezekiel (director of Zedkol Financial Services) and the two district officials to fraudulently obtain public funds from Namisindwa District.
The scheme involved processing irregular payments disguised as staff loan deductions and transferring the money to three entities: United for Development SACCO, Samix Uganda Ltd, and Zedkol Financial Services.
Investigations revealed that these companies did not provide any services to the district and were not licensed by the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority.
Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, 2026.
Under the Anti-Corruption Act, the offences carry a maximum penalty of up to 14 years’ imprisonment, depending on the severity and any mitigating factors.
This is a major setback for the legislator, who was serving as Pallisa MP at the time of the offences.
