Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner for Customs Asadu Kigozi Kisitu has reportedly gone missing on the eve of a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Tuesday (today), September 22, 2026, after armed security personnel surrounded his residence in Kigo on Monday evening.

According to family members Kisitu could not be traced after the reported security operation at his residence.

Armed men in UPDF uniform had mounted a roadblock at his residence,” a family member said.

Asadu’s whereabouts remain unclear.

No security agency had publicly claimed responsibility for the operation by the time of filing this report.

The development comes at a particularly sensitive moment in Asadu’s long-running dispute with URA management and the Board of Directors.

Hajji, as he is popularly known among Kampala traders, is one of URA’s senior officials suspended from exercising his duties as Commissioner Customs and Border Control on April 30, 2026, pending investigations.

In a September 8 letter to URA Board Chairman Emmanuel Katongole, Asadu said he was subsequently placed on three months’ garden leave from May 25 to August 27 while investigations continued.

The disciplinary process has since become contentious, with Asadu challenging both the investigation and the manner in which the Board has handled his case.

In his five-page letter, to the URA board chairman Emannuel Katongole, Asadu accused the process of being irregular and unlawful and requested an independent investigation.

Among his allegations were claims that some witnesses had been coerced or offered financial rewards to testify against him, that material evidence had not been disclosed to him and that electronic information had allegedly been extracted from potential witnesses’ phones.

Asadu also questioned the Board’s ability to fairly determine his case, arguing that Commissioner General John Musinguzi was involved in initiating or directing the investigation while also serving as a member of the Board.

He argued that this created an actual or apparent conflict of interest.

The URA Board, however, rejected the request to halt the disciplinary process.

In its response signed by Katongole, the Board maintained that it has statutory authority under the Uganda Revenue Authority Act to discipline officers at Asadu’s level.

The Board also said the Commissioner General would not vote on the findings or decision in Asadu’s disciplinary matter.

The Board nevertheless acknowledged concerns raised by Kisitu about the investigation.

It said allegations of witness coercion, compromised Board members, non-disclosure of evidence and unlawful extraction of electronic data were serious and would be investigated separately from the substantive disciplinary case.

It also agreed that Asadu should receive particulars of the allegations and relevant material before the hearing, stating that no adverse finding would be based on undisclosed material where he had not been given a reasonable opportunity to respond.

The Board further acknowledged that the disciplinary process had taken longer than desirable, including repeated postponements.

However, it insisted that the hearing would proceed on September 22 (today) and said further postponement would only be allowed for good cause.

Asadu, meanwhile, had maintained that he would not meaningfully participate in the current process unless his concerns over independence and procedural fairness were addressed.

In his September 8 letter, he requested an external investigation and an independent committee to preside over any subsequent disciplinary proceedings.

The reported disappearance therefore comes as the Board and Asadu remain locked in a dispute over the disciplinary process that began nearly five months ago.

Efforts by this website to establish if the siege at Asadu’s home was sanctioned by URA leadership remained futile as no official could be reached for a comment, including the URA spokesperson Robert Kalumba by Tuesday morning.

Recent media reporting had already highlighted unanswered questions surrounding Asadu’s suspension, with URA yet to publicly explain the specific reasons for his removal from office or the status of the disciplinary process.

As of Tuesday morning, there was no publicly confirmed information establishing where Asadu is or which security agency, if any, was responsible for the reported operation at his Kigo residence.