Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa, Kenya, Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, has been remanded to Luzira Prison over allegations of causing a financial loss of Shs 494 million and abuse of office during the Covid-19 pandemic.Kiguli, 49, appeared before Anti-Corruption court principal magistrate Christopher Opit on Monday and denied the charges.The magistrate remanded him until October 7, when he is expected to return to court for the hearing of his bail application. Kiguli was earlier arrested by the Inspectorate of Government (IG).Prosecution alleges that the offences were committed on November 9 and 10, 2020, when Kiguli was serving as commissioner for human resource management at the ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) in Entebbe.According to the IG, Kiguli originated and signed, on behalf of the principal of Bukalasa Agricultural College, five requisitions totalling Shs 614.768 million. The transactions allegedly resulted in a financial loss of Shs 494.097 million to the government.The IG alleges that the funds had neither been budgeted for nor anticipated by Bukalasa Agricultural College, and that there was no valid memorandum of understanding governing the financial relationship between the college and MAAIF at the time.The money was reportedly intended to facilitate various MAAIF activities that could not be undertaken because of restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.The Inspectorate of Government was represented in court by principal inspectorate officer William Moses Ntumwa and inspectorate officers Milly Namuwanga and Jennifer Katusime.Kiguli’s case is part of wider investigations into the alleged misuse of funds released by MAAIF to Bukalasa Agricultural College and the Fisheries Training Institute in Entebbe during the Covid-19 lockdown.Reports from 2020 indicated that MAAIF had released about Shs 10.2 billion to the two institutions in instalments for activities that could not be undertaken because of the lockdown. The IG subsequently found that approximately Shs 8.7 billion had been misappropriated.The funds were reportedly intended for activities including industrial training, procurement of stationery and instructional materials, and renovation of livestock farms.Investigators also raised concerns over payments reportedly made to settle students’ feeding bills despite the students being at home during the lockdown.Some officials were further accused of withdrawing portions of the funds and using them for purposes including purchasing private land in prime locations.The IG previously said some MAAIF and Bukalasa Agricultural College officials admitted wrongdoing and agreed to refund the misappropriated funds, with the Inspectorate pursuing recovery measures.The post Uganda’s Ambassador to Kenya Kiguli remanded over Shs 494m loss appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.