By Aaron Okotel
MBALE CITY
Mbale City Town Clerk, Abirebe Assy Tumwesigire has been granted bail following his dramatic arrest by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit.
Abirebe secured his release on Thursday afternoon, 24th September, 2026 after appearing in court, where stringent bail conditions were handed down. According to Mbale City Council spokesperson James Kutosi, the court ordered Abirebe to pay a cash bail of Shs 2 million and surrendered his passport.
The Town Clerk’s legal troubles came to a head on August 26, when he was picked up by anti-corruption operatives at the Mbale Central Market.
At the time of his arrest, Abirebe was attending a public Baraza led by the Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara. The meeting had been convened to address various concerns raised by market vendors.
According to the charge sheet dated August 20, 2026, Mr. Abirebe is facing formal charges of abuse of office, contrary to Section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, Cap 116.
State prosecutors allege that in October 2022 during his tenure as the Town Clerk of Mbarara City Abirebe “arbitrarily” executed a license agreement on behalf of the local government with ATC Uganda Limited.
The contested deal allegedly granted the infrastructure company exclusive rights to utilize space on the rooftop and ground area of the Mbarara Central Market. The space was reportedly earmarked for Installing communication antennas and Setting up a generator and distribution poles.
Investigators contend that the agreement was struck completely outside of established legal procedures and procurement laws, an action prosecutors argue was directly prejudicial to the interests of his employer, the Mbarara City Council.
