Top Story: Arua City Engineer Arrested Over Mismanagement of UGX 1 Billion Road Fund
Arua City is at the centre of a major corruption probe after City Engineer Charles Omona was arrested on allegations of abuse of office and mismanagement of UGX 1 billion allocated under the Road Fund for the 2024–2025 financial year.
The arrest followed a tense meeting of the Arua City Road Fund Committee, chaired by Ayivu East MP Geoffrey Feta, on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. During the session, committee members questioned how the substantial road infrastructure budget had been utilized — and uncovered alarming discrepancies.
Investigations revealed that Omona irregularly spent more than UGX 400 million hiring a road grader from the Obongi District Local Government. The grader was reportedly billed at UGX 1.6 million per day for just six hours of work. Even more concerning, an additional UGX 500 million from the fund remains unaccounted for.
In response to the findings, the committee handed Omona over to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CIID). He was arrested and detained at Arua Central Police Station on Wednesday, August 13.
Omona now faces serious charges, including abuse of office and mismanagement of government funds. Authorities confirmed he has since been released on police bond as investigations continue.
This arrest marks a significant development in the fight against corruption at the local government level, raising urgent questions about transparency and accountability in Arua City’s administration.
