The Executive Director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Eng. James Kasigwa, is under the spotlight after the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Francis Mwebesa, ordered a full-scale investigation into allegations of gross misconduct, maladministration, and abuse of office.
In a directive to the newly sworn-in 10th National Standards Council (NSC), Mwebesa accused the UNBS chief of presiding over a string of questionable decisions and actions that threaten to erode Uganda’s standards regime, weaken economic security, compromise public safety, and tarnish the country’s international credibility in trade.
Among the most damaging accusations are insubordination and open defiance of ministerial policy, with Eng. Kasigwa allegedly ignoring lawful directives from the parent ministry. He is further accused of sabotaging the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme — a critical safety net against substandard imports — by delaying the signing of service provider contracts and irregularly granting exemptions for used vehicle imports, despite the country’s limited testing capacity.
Even more alarming are claims that Kasigwa actively undermined the Digital Conformity Marks programme by developing a parallel system, raising fears of inefficiency, financial loss, and deliberate sabotage of government-backed initiatives.
The dossier of allegations also extends to dereliction of duty in legal metrology, where lax oversight is said to have cost the government huge sums while enabling unfair trade practices. Equally damning are charges of financial mismanagement and fraud, including the diversion of operational funds into shadowy budget lines, and the illegal financing of foreign trips for Members of Parliament — in direct violation of government policy.
The Minister’s letter also cites systemic violations of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), accusing Kasigwa of frustrating critical projects and operations, with losses estimated in the billions.
“These allegations, if proven, represent not just administrative lapses but a betrayal of public trust that directly undermines Uganda’s economic backbone,” a senior ministry source told this publication.
For now, the National Standards Council has been tasked with giving Eng. Kasigwa a chance to defend himself before reporting back to the Minister.
The spotlight is now firmly on UNBS. For an institution mandated to protect Ugandans from substandard goods and unfair trade, these revelations raise one unsettling possibility — that the very agency meant to safeguard standards may itself be compromised at the highest level.
Neither Eng. Kasigwa nor UNBS had responded to the allegations by press time, leaving a cloud of suspicion hanging over the Bureau’s leadership.
The appointment of Eng. James Kasigwa Nkamwesiga as Executive Director of UNBS by the same Minister now directing his “crucifixion” was itself shrouded in controversy and illegality after he failed the job tests.
UNBS announced Nkamwesiga as the successful candidate from a recruitment exercise that began in January, following the tenure of acting Executive Director Daniel Nangalama.
The interviews featured three assessments, totaling 100 points: Psychometric Assessment, Written Technical Test, and a PowerPoint Presentation with Oral Interview. The guidelines stated that the assessments should not be considered in isolation but evaluated holistically.
Documents from the assessment show that Muyambi Fortunate Benda scored 79.9 percent, while Nkamwesiga managed only 63.12 percent. Three other candidates also ranked above him.
A breakdown shows that in the Psychometric Assessment, Muyambi scored 86 while Nkamwesiga got 78. In the Written Technical Test, Muyambi scored 77, compared to Nkamwesiga’s 48. In the PowerPoint and Oral Interview section (worth 60 points), Muyambi scored 46.27 against Nkamwesiga’s 38.77.
Despite at least five candidates scoring higher than the cut-off, the 9th National Standards Council recommended the top two candidates — with Muyambi clearly the best performer.
It later surfaced that Nkamwesiga had actually come third out of the six candidates shortlisted for the final interviews.
On May 14, 2024, a concerned Ugandan, George Ahimbisibwe, petitioned the Attorney General, describing the appointment as “illegal.” Through his lawyers, Ahimbisibwe argued that Minister Mwebesa had appointed a candidate who had not been recommended by the National Standards Council, contrary to the UNBS Act. He asked the Attorney General to intervene and have the appointment reversed.
The AG also advised that it was illegal to appoint Kasigwa.
Minister Mwebesa, however, stuck to his guns and defended Kasigwa who has now, ironically, left him disappointed with a trail of greed, impunity, and alleged corruption.
It is against this background that the rightful winner, Fortunate Muyambi Benda, should be considered for appointment to restore credibility to the Bureau and save an institution now brought to the brink by Kasigwa’s scandals.
