UNBS Boss Back in Office as Trade Minister Drops Corruption Inquiry  Trade Minister Francis Mwebesa rescinds his own directive and withdraws a corruption probe, returning Eng. James Kasigwa to the helm of UNBS after eight days.

In a dramatic twist at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Trade Minister Francis Mwebesa has rescinded his earlier directive that sent Executive Director Eng. James N. Kasigwa on forced annual leave to pave way for investigations into allegations of insubordination, misconduct, and corruption. 

The reversal, communicated in a letter dated October 23, 2025, has effectively reinstated Kasigwa barely a week after he stepped aside.

The saga began on October 7, when Mwebesa wrote to Kasigwa directing him to take his 30 working days of annual leave effective October 15, 2025. 

The letter, which was officially received by UNBS on October 13, instructed him to hand over the office to his deputy in charge of Standards, Mrs. Patricia Bageine Ejalu, who was to serve as acting Executive Director during his absence. 

The minister justified the directive as a means to facilitate the National Standards Council’s (NSC) investigation into what he described as “allegations of insubordination, misconduct, impropriety, mismanagement and corruption.”

The move sparked immediate speculation within the standards body and across government corridors, as it was interpreted as a de facto suspension pending disciplinary inquiry. 

Kasigwa’s leave was to allow the NSC to conduct hearings, interview witnesses, and gather information concerning the allegations. The Council’s chairperson, Eng. James Kalibbala, was named as a witness to the handover.

However, just eight days after the leave took effect, Minister Mwebesa abruptly reversed course. 

In his October 23 letter to the NSC chairperson, he rescinded the earlier directive, saying that upon reviewing the matter, the allegations “did not warrant an investigation by the National Standards Council.” 

Instead, he said, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives would handle the issue through an internal administrative process. 

He further withdrew his previous communications including the one that had ordered Kasigwa to step aside, restoring the Executive Director to his position.

Later that same day, Kasigwa sent a memo to UNBS staff acknowledging the “challenging time” the institution was facing but assuring them that he remained in charge.

 “I want to communicate that I am in office and it’s business as usual,” he wrote. His email, which was copied to the National Standards Council, sought to calm the anxiety that had engulfed the Bureau since the directive was issued.

 “I understand that this situation has caused uncertainty, concern and frustration among staff,” Kasigwa added, before commending them for their “dedication, hard work, and commitment” despite the turmoil.

The Minister’s decision to recall his own directive has raised eyebrows within policy and administrative circles. 

It signals a significant shift from what appeared to be a formal disciplinary inquiry led by an independent oversight body, to a more opaque, ministry-controlled process. 

While the initial letter had explicitly cited serious allegations requiring a council-led probe, the sudden about-turn suggests a possible reassessment of the evidence or an internal political recalibration. 

It remains unclear what new information prompted the Minister’s change of heart or whether the allegations will still be reviewed administratively within the Ministry.

For now, Kasigwa’s reinstatement restores continuity at the Bureau, ending days of confusion among staff and stakeholders. 

But questions linger about the governance dynamics at play and the transparency of the processes that led to both his removal and return. 

Unless the Ministry publicly clarifies the nature and outcome of the “administrative approach” it has opted for, the episode risks eroding confidence in the accountability structures of one of Uganda’s key regulatory agencies.