The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has charged Jennifer Etit Okaka, the Human Resource Manager at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with corruption, causing financial loss, and abuse of office.
Okaka appeared before Grade One Magistrate Abert Asiimwe on Tuesday, where she faced allegations of failing to update the CAA payroll, an omission that prosecutors say led to a loss of Shs14 million. According to the charge sheet, the incident is said to have occurred while she was entrusted with overseeing human resource operations at the authority.
Prosecution, led by State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya, told court that Okaka’s failure to promptly remove a separated employee from the payroll enabled irregular salary payments to continue, thereby causing financial loss to the government. Muwaganya further submitted that her actions amounted to abuse of office, given her responsibility to ensure accurate payroll management in line with public service regulations.
When the charges were read, Okaka denied any wrongdoing. Her lawyers applied for bail, arguing that she is a senior officer with a fixed place of abode and would not interfere with investigations. However, the prosecution opposed the application, citing ongoing inquiries and the risk of witness interference.
Magistrate Asiimwe ruled that the bail application would be considered at a later date and ordered that Okaka be remanded to Luzira Prison until August 14, 2025, when the matter will return for mention.
The case adds to a growing list of high-profile prosecutions aimed at curbing corruption in public institutions, a campaign the government says is crucial to improving service delivery and restoring public confidence.
CAA has not issued an official statement on the matter.