The executive director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Eng James Nkamwesiga Kasigwa, has petitioned the High court seeking to block an investigation ordered against him over alleged corruption, insubordination, misconduct, and abuse of office.
In a directive dated September 30, 2025, the minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Francis Mwebesa, instructed the chairperson of the UNBS Board to investigate Kasigwa over several allegations levelled against him.
A subsequent order dated October 7 required Kasigwa to take one month’s forced leave effective October 15, pending the outcome of a judicial review case he had earlier filed challenging the same directives.
In his petition, Kasigwa is seeking a temporary injunction restraining the minister, his agents, or any other persons acting on his authority from enforcing the two directives.
Through an affidavit supporting his application, Kasigwa argues that the minister’s directives were unlawful, irrational, and procedurally improper, having been issued outside the legal framework of the UNBS Act and related regulations.
He contends that the investigation breaches the rules of natural justice, since the minister, who initiated the probe, is both the complainant and the final decision-maker.
“This makes the honourable minister an accuser, prosecutor, and judge in his own cause,” Kasigwa stated.
He further argues that the National Standards Council, tasked to conduct the investigation, lacks independence because its members were recently appointed by the same minister, who also retains the power to dismiss them.
This, he says, compromises the impartiality of the process. Kasigwa also challenges the legality of his forced leave, asserting that the minister has no authority under the UNBS Act to suspend or interdict a director.
That mandate, he notes, lies solely with the National Standards Council acting under established disciplinary procedures. The application adds that the allegations against him ranging from financial impropriety and corruption to abuse of office, are criminal in nature and should have been referred to independent institutions such as the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) or the Office of the Auditor General.
By directing the council to investigate him, Kasigwa argues, the minister acted unreasonably and outside the law. He warns that enforcing the directives would cause irreparable harm, including reputational damage and potential loss of employment, and would render his judicial review meaningless.
He therefore prays that court maintain the status quo until it determines the legality of the minister’s actions. The matter came up on Monday before justice Joyce Kavuma of the High court’s Civil Division.
During the session, assistant commissioner for civil litigation Peter Masaba, representing the Attorney General, informed the court that he had come across a letter in which the minister had purportedly rescinded his directives.
Masaba requested time to verify the authenticity of the letter before updating the court on Kasigwa’s status. UNBS was represented by lawyers Lydia Kyakuwa and Doreen Nasimbwa, while Ebert Byenkya appeared for the applicant.
Following the Attorney General’s request, justice Kavuma granted an adjournment to November 4, 2025, to allow verification of the minister’s letter. Minister Mwebesa is not new to similar controversies.
In July 2023, a year before Kasigwa’s appointment, former UNBS executive director David Livingstone Ebiru was sent on forced leave over allegations of misconduct, abuse of office, and misuse of funds. Ebiru was later charged before the Anti-Corruption Court, though the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew the case before he could take a plea.
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