Former Mukono District Speaker Betty Hope Nakasi has been remanded to prison after appearing before the Anti-Corruption Court over allegations that she solicited Shs2 million in exchange for helping a public officer secure a promotion.
Nakasi was arraigned on Friday by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), working alongside the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). She will remain on remand until October 21, 2026, when the case returns to court.
According to the Anti-Corruption Unit, the allegations stem from an incident on June 30, 2025, at the Mukono District Local Government headquarters.
Prosecutors allege that Nakasi, together with other suspects who have not yet been arrested, solicited Shs2 million from the then Procurement Officer of Buikwe District.
The prosecution case is that Nakasi claimed she could use her influence over the Mukono District Service Commission to help the officer obtain a promotion to the position of Senior Procurement Officer, Mukono District, in return for the money.
The allegations form part of a wider investigation into claims of the illegal sale of government jobs and positions within Mukono Local Government.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit said its investigations were triggered by complaints of extortion involving members of the District Service Commission and politicians in the district.
The latest court action revives a corruption scandal that has previously rocked Mukono District.
In July 2025, Nakasi and then Mukono District Service Commission Chairperson Eng. Godfrey Kibuuka Kisuule were arrested by SHACU over allegations linked to the alleged extortion of money from people seeking government jobs. Reports at the time indicated that investigators were probing claims that applicants were being asked for millions of shillings depending on the positions they sought.
The Mukono District Service Commission was subsequently suspended amid the allegations. Nakasi had earlier confirmed that the commission’s operations had been halted following corruption complaints.
The latest charge specifically concerns the alleged solicitation of Shs2 million from the former Buikwe procurement officer and does not amount to a conviction. Nakasi remains entitled to the presumption of innocence as the case proceeds through court.
SHACU said the prosecution is part of the government’s broader crackdown on the alleged sale of public jobs, citing repeated warnings by President Yoweri Museveni against the practice and directives for authorities to pursue those involved.
The Anti-Corruption Unit has also indicated that investigations into the Mukono allegations remain ongoing, meaning additional suspects could face action as investigators complete their work. Earlier reports on the scandal indicated that authorities were pursuing both district officials and alleged intermediaries connected to the recruitment process.
Nakasi, who was elected as the Mukono Central Division councillor in the 2021 local government elections, served as Mukono District Speaker during the period under investigation
