The head of the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Mathew Bagonza, has been charged with abuse of office and money laundering and remanded to prison pending further proceedings.
Bagonza appeared before Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday, where the charges were read to him before he was remanded until October 5, 2026.
Prosecutors allege that Bagonza, while serving at PACEID, was involved in the creation of a private company known as Presidential Initiative on Export and Industrial Development, which was registered in January 2024.
The prosecution claims that the company’s activities overlapped with the work of his official employer and allegedly prejudiced government interests.
The money-laundering charge relates to Shs171.7 million, which prosecutors allege was transferred from an account opened in the name of the initiative to Bagonza’s personal account.
According to the prosecution, the transactions occurred between September 2023 and August 2026 and were allegedly intended to disguise the source of the funds.
Because the charges are capital offences triable by the High Court, Bagonza was not required to enter a plea at the Anti-Corruption Court.
The court subsequently remanded him to prison as investigations continue and adjourned the matter to October 5.
Bagonza’s case has attracted attention because of his position within PACEID, a government advisory structure involved in promoting Uganda’s exports and industrial development. He is also associated with businessman and presidential adviser Odrek Rwabwogo, who, together with his wife Patience Rwabwogo, was among those present in court alongside Bagonza’s relatives and supporters.
The charges remain allegations, and Bagonza is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a competent court.
