Lt Gen Joseph Musanyufu
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I After a forensic investigation that covered the Internal Affairs Permanent Secretary Lt Gen Joseph Musanyufu and Undersecretary Aggrey Wunyi, they have been cleared of allegations of corruption and are set to return to office after investigators found no evidence that they demanded bribes or deliberately frustrated payments under the national CCTV maintenance project.
The findings mark a dramatic reversal of events that saw the two senior officials sent on six months’ forced leave by President Yoweri Museveni in May 2026 following allegations that they had blocked payment of Shs31.37 billion to Dealan Associates Limited, the local company contracted to maintain Uganda’s nationwide Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system.
Highly placed sources familiar with the investigation said the forensic probe established that the delayed payment was not motivated by corruption but by legitimate concerns over whether the contractor had fulfilled all its contractual obligations.
Investigators reportedly concluded that Musanyufu and Wunyi acted within the scope of their responsibilities by questioning the release of public funds before all agreed works had been completed.
“There was no evidence that the two officials demanded bribes or blocked payment for personal gain,” a source familiar with the findings said. “The dispute centred on whether the contractor had satisfactorily completed all the required maintenance works before receiving full payment.”
The investigation reportedly found that Dealan Associates Limited had not fully completed the security and command centre maintenance works specified in its contract, making the officials’ insistence on verification before payment both reasonable and consistent with public financial management principles.
The findings effectively dismiss earlier claims that the two officials had deliberately frustrated payment after the contractor allegedly refused to pay bribes through a middleman identified as Hassan.
Those allegations had formed the basis of President Museveni’s decision to send the officials on compulsory leave pending investigations.
In his earlier communication to the Head of Public Service, the President said he had acted after receiving a report from the Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, alleging corruption in the management of the CCTV maintenance contract.
The report claimed there was corruption involving officials at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Uganda Police concerning maintenance of the country’s surveillance camera system.
Museveni explained that after Chinese technology company Huawei faced sanctions from the United States and several European countries in 2019, it turned to Dealan Associates Limited to undertake maintenance and repair works on the sophisticated surveillance infrastructure.
According to the President’s earlier account, Otafiire had successfully lobbied the Ministry of Finance to release Shs31.37 billion to facilitate the maintenance works but was informed that the contractor had not been paid because ministry officials were allegedly demanding kickbacks before authorising payment.
However, the forensic investigation has now contradicted that narrative.
Sources said investigators established that the payment delays arose from unresolved contractual and technical issues rather than corruption or abuse of office.
The probe reportedly found that ministry officials had questioned whether all deliverables had been completed before approving the final payment, a responsibility that falls squarely within the accounting and oversight functions of public officials entrusted with safeguarding government resources.
Investigators therefore concluded that Musanyufu and Wunyi were carrying out their duties by insisting on compliance with contractual requirements before authorising expenditure.
The inquiry also reportedly explored the circumstances under which the allegations reached the President.
Sources indicated that Musanyufu may have become entangled in internal workplace rivalries, with complaints against him allegedly being escalated before comprehensive verification of the facts had been undertaken.
While the investigation does not assign blame for the initial accusations, its findings clear the two officials of wrongdoing and paved the way for President Museveni to order their reinstatement.
Their return to office closes a turbulent chapter in the management of one of Uganda’s most strategic security investments.
The national CCTV network, installed following a series of high-profile assassinations and rising urban crime, comprises thousands of surveillance cameras linked to a central command and control centre. The system has become a critical component of Uganda’s crime prevention and investigation strategy, supporting intelligence gathering, criminal investigations and public security operations across the country.
The CCTV project has cost the government hundreds of billions of shillings and remains among Uganda’s largest investments in security technology.
About the Author
