The government has embarked on drafting the Anti-Corruption Confiscation and Recovery Rules that will regulate procedures for confiscating property belonging to persons convicted of corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Act provides for prevention of corruption in both public and private sectors and mandates confiscation of property of persons convicted of corruption. Section 73 of the Act also empowers the Chief Justice to make rules regulating confiscation and recovery orders, but implementation has stalled due to existing gaps.
Speaking during a high-level validation exercise on the draft rules on June 16 in Kampala, Under Secretary, Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, Joel Wanjala, said government wants to tighten that area.
‘There has been a gap, one, in the assessment of the value of these assets that are confiscated. Two, in the management and accountability for the income that is arising from the confiscated assets. Who monitors the income that comes from it? How are they managed, When it comes to disposal of these confiscated assets, how do we do it? So that is a concern,’ Wanjala said.
The Inter-Agency Forum Legal Task Force developed the draft Anti-Corruption (Confiscation and Recovery Orders) Rules, 2026, after the Chief Justice, in a letter dated May 17, 2024, gave permission. The task force was chaired by the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity and included other anti-corruption agencies, the Attorney General’s Chambers, and Uganda Law Reform Commission. The draft will be submitted to the Judiciary Law Reform Committee.
Inspector General of Government Aisha Naluzze Batala said the prolonged absence of confiscation procedure rules had created a critical legal gap.
‘The prolonged absence of confiscation procedure rules has left a critical legal gap in the implementation of the Act. So, without the court-approved procedures, the Chief Justice is mandated to prescribe, but no coherent framework has existed to govern the confiscation proceedings, the management and the disposal of confiscated property by receivers and administrators, or the distribution of the proceeds arising therefrom,’ Batala said.
She added that the deficiency had left courts, prosecutors, and appointed administrators without a procedure guide necessary to implement confiscation orders effectively and consistently.
Once finalized, the rules will strengthen the fight against corruption by providing a clear framework for recovering assets acquired through corrupt practices.
The Inter-Agency Forum, IAF, is a government-led coordination platform established to unite all 20 Anti-Corruption Agencies in the country. Chaired by the Minister of Ethics and Integrity, it harmonizes accountability programs and investigations to improve national service delivery and combat financial fraud.
The forum unites key stakeholders including the Inspectorate of Government, SH-ACU, CID, ODPP, DEI, FIA, PPDA, and OAG to share intelligence, conduct joint inspections, and streamline anti-corruption strategies.