Mourners at the funeral of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Charles Kataratambi on Friday expressed outrage over the corruption probe and long suspension that shadowed his final years, describing the allegations as ‘insulting’ and ‘nonsensical.’
Kataratambi, who served as the police director of human rights and legal services, died of cancer on October 2, 2025.
During the service at Watoto Church on Bombo Road, his widow, Christine Kataratambi, spoke passionately against accusations that her husband had received bribes or owned multiple properties.
‘It is very bad because if you insult an officer, who has put his life on the line to work for this country. It is an insult not only to the officer, but also to his family,’ she said.
She recounted how the former Inspector General of Police Martins Ochola had cleared her husband and offered him his Prados, which he refused, stating, ”by the way, I don’t own those cars. Find out who the owners of those cars.”
Mrs Kataratambi also rejected claims that her husband owned 13 apartments in Buziga or had received US$750,000 in bribes.
‘I wish I had that one. But I know my father in heaven you will give us that one. He did not have it. They never recovered any money at our home and no policeman showed up in the house to come and check,’ she said.
The allegations stemmed from a 2015 bank fraud investigation Kataratambi oversaw as Senior Commissioner of Police.
Bank officers allegedly offered him a bribe to halt the probe. President Museveni later ordered a full investigation, resulting in Kataratambi’s arrest, detention at Nsambya Police Barracks, and a suspension lasting over eight years.
The Solicitor General, Pius Biribonwoha, a school friend of Kataratambi, praised his resilience saying:
‘We thank the President and the CDF for eventually bringing him out of that limbo and back into the service of the country. I was imagining, if Charles was here and still in that confusion,’ he said, adding that Kataratambi had rejected bribes worth up to Shs1b.
Friend Ignatius cited the long struggle to clear Kataratambi’s name. ‘Now, those who created the nonsense around Charles, it took eight years to debunk. .Personally, I thought this matter would be looked at for the nonsense it was. After six years, I gave up. I told Charles, you leave the Uganda Police Force,’ he said, noting that Kataratambi refused a lucrative international job.
State Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi, urged the public to focus on Kataratambi’s resilience. ‘Somebody lamented and said ‘the nonsense of life.’ What lessons do we pick? I want to dwell more on the positives of that nonsense, the lessons we learnt, the resilience of Charles. His endurance, his grace and also his absolution at the end of the day. For the system, thanks to Charles’ sacrifice. We learnt our lessons,’ he said.
Gen Muhoozi also thanked President Museveni for clearing and promoting Kataratambi, and police leadership for supporting him.
On his part, Deputy Inspector General of Police James Ocaya called for unity among officers. ‘There others in this world who are busy fighting other people. .That could have resulted in the eight years Charles was on suspension. So colleagues, let us not fight each other,’ he said.
Ocaya highlighted Kataratambi’s integrity and discretion telling mourners that ‘even in his sickness.we tried our level best to be with him, to visit him, but he could not allow us.’
He added: ‘And even in his sickness.Charles was an unshakeable person of integrity. He was a pillar of honesty. A leader who led by example and couldn’t be compromised. He was a calm strategic thinker.’
Promoted to AIGP in 2024, Kataratambi held the post of Director of Human Rights and Legal Services briefly before illness claimed his life.
His burial was set for October 11, 2025 at his ancestral home in Kanga Village, Rushozi-Rubaya Kashari Mbarara District.