By Nanteza Ruth Walusimbi
NATIONAL
Pallisa County Member of Parliament Hon. Otukol Samuel also Director in both Samix Uganda Ltd and Zedkol Financial Services, together with Odap Francis- former Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Wamburu Willy-Acting Chief Financial Officer of Namisindwa District and Osire Ezekiel- Director of Zedkol Financial Services, on Wednesday 1st April, 2026 were sentenced by the Anti-Corruption Court for causing financial loss, theft, and conspiracy to defraud Namisindwa District.
Presiding Magistrate Esther Asiimwe has sentenced Otukol Samuel to 2 years imprisonment for theft and conspiracy to defraud. Odap Francis was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment for causing financial loss and Conspiracy to defraud. Wamburu Willy was sentenced to 15 months in Luzira prison for causing financial loss and conspiracy to defraud.
Honorable Otukol was also ordered to compensate Namisindwa District Local Government a total of 307,698,858 shillings.
Osire Ezekiel was sentenced to pay a Court fine of Shillings 6.5 million for theft and conspiracy to defraud; in addition, he was ordered to compensate Namisindwa District Shillings 105,215,445.
While sentencing the convicts, Magistrate Asiimwe took into account the manner in which the crime was committed, each convict’s role, and the positions held.
For Odap Francis, the Magistrate considered that he was the one who applied for the fictitious invoices that resulted in the loss, and that, as CAO, he was the highest-ranking technical officer at the local government level; thus, he abused his position of trust.
The Court further took into account that Wamburi Willy initiated the fictitious invoices, which resulted in a loss. He was both the Payroll Accountant and Acting Chief Finance Officer, a position of trust that he abused by mis advising the CAO.
The Magistrate declined to grant compensation orders against Odap Francis and Wamburu Willy, as the money had ended up with MP Otukol Sam and Osire Ezekiel, and found that the sentences met the ends of justice.
For Hon. Otukol Samuel, the Court took into account the fact that he was the mastermind of the scheme, he was the one who processed the money into his accounts in Samix and Zedkol in which he was a director.
Finally, for Osire Ezekiel, the Court took into account that he was a business partner of Hon. Otukol and co-signatory to the Zedkol financial services account, he participated in withdrawing the funds from the account. The compensation has to be paid within four months after serving their sentences.
The matter was prosecuted by Emily Mutuzo Sendaula, a Senior State Attorney in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
