URA to Reorganise Traders’ Meeting After Disruption
November 11, 2026
KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Board has dismissed Commissioner for Customs Hajji Asadu Kisitu Kigozi following allegations of corruption, abuse of office and irregularities in the administration of customs taxes, ChimpReports has learned.
The decision was taken during the URA Board’s fourth special sitting on November 12, 2026, and took effect on Friday, November 13.
URA Assistant Commissioner for Public and Corporate Affairs Robert Kalumba confirmed Kigozi’s dismissal but declined to provide further details.
A dismissal letter signed by URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi indicated that Kigozi would leave the tax body without benefits.
Details obtained by ChimpReports indicate that the decision followed allegations of misconduct committed between 2025 and 2026 during Kigozi’s tenure as head of the Customs Department, one of URA’s most critical revenue-generating divisions.
Allegations of corruption
Among the allegations levelled against Kigozi is the concealment of compliance information and the actual tax liability of Master Grain Milling Limited in 2025, allegedly resulting in substantial revenue losses to the government for personal gain.
Kigozi is also accused of soliciting a bribe of Shs 300 million from clearing agent Timothy Segane in 2025.
In a separate incident in 2026, Kigozi allegedly received Shs 5 million from Segane through a mobile money agent.
The former commissioner is further accused of facilitating the clearance of an imported vehicle on August 18, 2026, without payment of the requisite local taxes, allegedly granting an irregular tax waiver to businessman Lino Martin Mashimo.
Kigozi is yet to comment on the accusations.
Preferential tax treatment
Other allegations concern the preferential treatment of selected importers, which reportedly undermined fair competition among businesses and exposed the government to revenue losses.
Between 2025 and 2026, Kigozi allegedly facilitated the application of different tax rates to identical products for personal gain.
In one instance, he allegedly enabled businessman James Matovu to pay Shs 19 million in taxes, while other importers of similar products were required to pay more than Shs 90 million.
The transaction was allegedly facilitated through the use of misleading documentation.
Kigozi is also accused of instructing customs officials in 2026 to facilitate the clearance of a Rolls-Royce luxury vehicle without adhering to established customs procedures, valuation requirements and tax-payment obligations.
The allegations raise questions about the integrity of customs clearance procedures, particularly the valuation of imported goods and the administration of tax exemptions.
Revenue implications
Kigozi’s dismissal comes as the government intensifies efforts to mobilise domestic revenue to finance its expanding expenditure commitments and reduce reliance on borrowing.
The Customs Department oversees the collection of taxes on international trade, including import duties, import VAT and other levies, making it central to Uganda’s domestic revenue mobilisation efforts.
