Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ Mr. Francis Mwebesa, the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, has removed Mr. David Livingstone Ebiru from his role as the executive director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) with immediate effect. The decision came after Mr. Ebiru was accused of various offenses that allegedly tarnished the reputation of UNBS, rendering him unfit for the position.
Mr. Ebiru had been sent on leave prior to his dismissal. He expressed surprise at the decision to dismiss him while he was still on leave. He had faced allegations of abuse of office and bribery, leading the Inspector General of Government to order his arrest.
Among the allegations were that Mr. Ebiru had bribed board members of UNBS with USh100 million to retain his position and had misappropriated funds collected by the bureau without proper authorization. The Minister’s dismissal letter also stated that Mr. Ebiru had withdrawn and spent Non-Tax Revenue totaling about $3.2 million (approximately USh11.5 billion) that was supposed to be remitted to the Consolidated Fund, contravening the Public Finance Management Act.
Mr. Ebiru’s dismissal follows a series of mismanagement issues and allegations that had been raised, including his admission and subsequent retraction of bribery allegations. The Minister’s decision was based on a review and analysis of evidence by the National Standards Council.
Following Mr. Ebiru’s dismissal, Mr. Daniel Richard Makayi Nangalama was appointed as the new acting executive director of UNBS. Mr. Nangalama had previously served as the deputy executive director in charge of management and financial services.
Mr. Ebiru, who had been with UNBS for several years and held various positions, has been facing scrutiny over his handling of the bureau’s finances and operations. His dismissal highlights the ongoing efforts in Uganda to address issues of accountability and governance within public institutions.
