Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner for Customs and Border Control Asadu Kigozi Kisitu has reportedly gone missing ahead of a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Family members say Kisitu could not be traced after armed security personnel reportedly surrounded his residence in Kigo on Monday evening.
According to one family member, men dressed in Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) uniforms mounted a roadblock near the residence.
“Armed men in UPDF uniform had mounted a roadblock at his residence,” the family member said.
However, no security agency had publicly taken responsibility for the reported operation by the time of filing this report, and Kisitu’s whereabouts remained unclear as of Tuesday morning.
The development comes amid a long-running dispute between Kisitu and URA management and its Board of Directors over a disciplinary process that has been ongoing for several months.
Kisitu, popularly known as Hajji among some Kampala traders, was suspended from exercising his duties as Commissioner for Customs and Border Control on April 30, 2026, pending investigations.
In a five-page letter dated September 8 and addressed to URA Board Chairman Emmanuel Katongole, Kisitu said he was subsequently placed on three months’ garden leave from May 25 to August 27 as investigations continued.
He has since challenged both the investigation and the manner in which the disciplinary proceedings have been handled.
Kisitu described the process as irregular and unlawful and called for an independent investigation. Among his concerns, he alleged that some witnesses had been coerced or offered financial inducements to testify against him.
He also claimed that some material evidence had not been disclosed to him and that electronic information had allegedly been extracted from the phones of potential witnesses.
Kisitu further questioned the ability of the URA Board to determine his case impartially, citing the involvement of Commissioner General John Musinguzi in initiating or directing the investigation while he also serves as a member of the Board.
According to Kisitu, this amounted to an actual or perceived conflict of interest.
The URA Board rejected his request to suspend the disciplinary proceedings.
In its response signed by Katongole, the Board maintained that it has powers under the Uganda Revenue Authority Act to discipline officers at Kisitu’s level.
The Board also stated that Musinguzi would not participate in voting on the findings or final decision concerning Kisitu’s disciplinary case.
At the same time, the Board acknowledged some of the concerns raised by Kisitu and said allegations involving witness coercion, compromised Board members, non-disclosure of evidence and unlawful extraction of electronic data were serious enough to warrant separate investigation.
The Board further indicated that Kisitu should be provided with particulars of the allegations and relevant evidence before the disciplinary hearing.
It said no adverse finding would be based on material that had not been disclosed to Kisitu where he had not been given a reasonable opportunity to respond.
The Board also acknowledged that the disciplinary process had taken longer than expected, citing repeated postponements.
Despite this, it maintained that the disciplinary hearing would proceed on September 22, with any further postponement only granted where there was good cause.
Kisitu, however, had maintained that he could not meaningfully participate in the proceedings unless his concerns regarding the independence of the investigation and procedural fairness were addressed.
In his September 8 communication, he called for an external investigation and an independent committee to oversee any subsequent disciplinary proceedings.
The reported disappearance comes as Kisitu and the URA Board remain at odds over the disciplinary process, which began nearly five months ago.
Efforts to establish whether the reported security operation at Kisitu’s Kigo residence was sanctioned by URA leadership were unsuccessful.
No URA official was available for comment by Tuesday morning, including the authority’s spokesperson, Robert Kalumba.
Recent media reports have also raised questions surrounding Kisitu’s suspension, with URA yet to publicly disclose detailed reasons for his removal from office or provide a full account of the status of the disciplinary proceedings.
As of Tuesday morning, there was no publicly confirmed information on Kisitu’s whereabouts or confirmation of which security agency, if any, was behind the reported operation at his residence.
