The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has directed 22 officials from Jinja City’s Southern Division to refund a total of Shs 33.08 million in public funds that were advanced for official activities but remain unaccounted for. The affected officials include both political leaders and technical staff, among them the mayor and deputy mayor, deputy town clerk, senior assistant town clerk, internal auditors, accountants, community development officers, a probation officer, and ten councillors. Investigations by the IGG’s Jinja regional office found that the officials had received facilitation for various council activities but failed to provide evidence that the activities were carried out, in contravention of Local Government Financial and Accounting Regulations that require full accountability for public expenditure. During the investigations, the implicated officials reportedly undertook to refund the money. The Inspectorate has since issued formal directives to each of them, with copies sent to the town clerk, instructing that the funds be deposited into the IGG Assets Recovery Account at the Bank of Uganda. Among those cited, Christopher Baliraine, senior assistant town clerk, faces the highest refund of Shs 4.45 million. Esther Kwenala, stenographer secretary, has been ordered to refund Shs 4.06 million, while Phoebe Monica Kwagala, the probation and social welfare officer, is required to return Shs 3.84 million. Prossie Nanangwe, senior assistant accountant, is expected to refund Shs 3.08 million. The mayor of Southern Division, Nasser Asiraf, has been directed to refund Shs 1.74 million, while deputy mayor Maria Babirekere Kasasa must return Shs 750,000. Deputy town clerk Joy Kasowole has been ordered to refund Shs 1.75 million. The ten councillors implicated in the matter have each been directed to refund amounts ranging between Shs 750,000 and Shs 1.04 million, while other technical staff, including internal auditors, accountants, and community development officers, face refund demands ranging from Shs 400,000 to Shs 600,000. The action is part of a broader nationwide enforcement campaign by the Inspectorate of Government to recover misappropriated public funds and strengthen accountability in local governments. Under the leadership of Inspector General of Government, Aisha Nalule Batala, the Inspectorate is pursuing more than 200 public officials across the country over unaccounted funds amounting to billions of shillings. In recent weeks alone, the IGG has recovered Shs 335 million from 62 public officials out of 202 targeted defaulters, with further recoveries expected through enforcement measures such as salary attachments and court action.The post IGG orders Jinja officials to refund Shs 33m in misused public funds appeared first on The Observer.