Uganda Scientists, Researchers and Allied Workers Union (USRAWU) boss Keno Robert faces arrest over fraud and forgery

By Nathan Ngobi

Keno Robert the Secretary General of a science workers’ union- Uganda Scientists Researchers and Allied Workers Union (USRAWU) faces arrest over alleged forgery and fraudulently withdrawing the Union funds for personal use.

In a heated meeting chaired by Dr. Kasigwa James the union chairman held at Teachers House Bombo Road in Kampala Thursday afternoon members resolved to have Mr. Keno Robert detained following reports that a hooping unspecified amount money disappeared from the Equity bank church house head office account in the hands of the Secretary General.

The union members later at the end of the meeting dragged Keno Robert to Wandegeya divisional police where the DPC Hassan Hibumbire advised them to open up a case at Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala because it is a jurisdictional area of crimes committed by Keno.

How it started: –

During their annual general meeting, after the communication from the chair, workers MP Abdul Byakatonda addressed the members and asked them to forge unity in order to achieve their major goals.

“I know you have encumbrances as a union like any other union but for the better and in order to achieve major goals and objectives of the union please I request that you put aside the grievances and forge unity” Hon. Byakatonda told the gathering briefly before he left.

Dr. Byakatonda was accompanied by one Mukula Francis who also begged the members to leave behind a good legacy for the union.

However, when Dr. Byakatonda left, the union secretary General Keno Robert was asked to give a keynote address to the union members.

During his address Keno told the members that they are all illegal members attending the meeting on his mercy because none of them had paid subscription and membership fees including himself but his case defers because the law excludes him from paying subscription since he serves as the chief executive of the union.

“Am the chief executive or accounting officer of the union and by law am supposed to be paid monthly salary and other benefits after quitting my government job I become a permanent worker here unlike you who must subscribe by paying to remain relevant members, which all of you failed to do and now you are illegally here” Keno Robert told the gathering who later hit tables and chairs as tempers rose high.

He went ahead and explained that in Uganda they have six (6) unions which are affiliated to public services international among them is USRAWU but right from 2021 his union failed to pay subscription fees to public service international therefore they are also not eligible to participate in international events.

He said that soon there will be an international event in Arusha Tanzania but USRAWU will not take part since they are a non member union.

Keno told the then addressed as none members that they needed to pay their annual subscription fees to the international public services body through Nairobi Kenya to Switzerland for certification as a union member and be allowed to take part in international union events.

He added that it was difficult to subscribe to the international body when the illegal members failed to pay their monthly subscription fees.

At this point Hirome Mayanja Sabehe one of the members lashed out at the Secretary General for being unfair and using threatening language to scare off members from asking him to account for the monies he reportedly misappropriated.

 “I gave you money 700,000/- recently can you deny it? There is also 13 million for the Union vehicle which is not functioning, the car is not seen, we also gave you money to open up a website for the union and many other members paid money and were given receipts can you account for it” furious Hirome attacked Keno in the meeting.

Rebecca Neumbe aka Zahara the union treasurer’s attempt to defend her boss failed on deaf ears as furious members told her off, this was because she had not yet got the treasurer’s instrument of power and therefore all the money were spent by Keno personally.

Keno who later interjected told the members that he told them that they are none members in good faith.

“I have told you in good faith, I never wanted to die with it, the fact is that you are illegal members by laws governing unions but I, who retired from my government job to take up this mantle am safe” Keno pointed out.

One of the members only identified as Mugabe told the gathering that he agrees that they are missing gaps in the union including failure to pay subscription but the aspect of illegality he was not aware of.

He said that there is need to have a system in place of collecting money mainly the membership subscription monthly fees in order to harmonize

 the running of the union.

Another member, one Omara, asked the members to allow the secretary general apologize and be forgiven for making such shocking statements in what he referred to as misplacement of words during the meeting.

Omara said that he paid money himself for the union subscription and has receipts but was shocked when the secretary general said that all members were illegal.

Dr. Kasigwa James the union chairman told the gathering that there was no need then to hold meetings since the union seemed not to exist if all the members were illegal, it implied that even the secretary general has no work because he could not be the chief executive officer of an non existing union without members.

He asked Keno to explain clearly, apologize to members or the meeting closes.

Although Keno placed his apology, the furious members resolved to drag him to police at Wandegeya for crimes of forgery and fraudulently withdrawing union funds and using it for personal gains.

Keno Robert a Mugwere from Kibuku district Eastern Uganda is a personal assistant to Dr.  Byakatonda Abdul the workers MP.

Dr. Kasigwa James speaks out:

According to Dr. Kasigwa James the union chairman said that following the advice from Wandegeya police DPC Hassan Hibumbise they went ahead and opened up a case file at CPS Kampala of fraud and forgery against Keno.

“It is true we have internal problems in the union that we need to clean up, though we have taken the legal aspect in cleaning the union there are other possibilities and measures we would take over the same” Dr. Kasigwa told this publication.

Dr. Kasigwa who wrote his statement to police said that he will fight hard to see that the union unites and focuses on pursuing their objectives.

He said that if investigations found Keno Robert guilty of crimes committed then he faces arrest and after his prosecution then the union would not hold someone who has no credibility to manage their affairs.

He said that at that point the union would sack him and recruit a new person.

Dr. Kasigwa says that though matters were at police , they can still amicably resolve their conflict.