WHO ATE THE GAVI MONEY? Mike Mukula’s Shs263M Scandal That Shook Uganda

Uganda’s former State Minister for Health, Captain Mike Mukula, once found himself at the centre of a major financial controversy involving funds provided by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), an international organisation supporting vaccination programmes and public health initiatives.

The scandal, which dates back to 2005, exposed serious concerns about the management of donor funding and the accountability of government officials entrusted with resources intended to improve healthcare services.

At the heart of the controversy was Shs263.855 million withdrawn from the GAVI account through transactions linked to Mukula, who was then serving as State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties.

Court proceedings established that Mukula had signed three payment vouchers authorising transactions worth approximately Shs263.8 million. The money was reportedly intended to finance youth and women’s health advocacy programmes associated with the Office of the First Lady, Janet Museveni.

However, questions emerged over how the funds were utilised, particularly approximately Shs210 million whose accountability became a major issue in the investigation.

During his defence, Mukula told court that the money had been requested by the First Lady’s office to facilitate health mobilisation activities. He claimed the request was initially communicated verbally during a meeting at Imperial Resort Hotel in Entebbe on January 14, 2005, before a formal communication was reportedly delivered on January 31.

Mukula maintained that only about Shs54 million was released for the activities, while the remaining Shs210 million was returned to the GAVI account at the Bank of Uganda. He strongly denied personally stealing or benefiting from the money.

Nevertheless, the prosecution pursued the case, arguing that the missing funds had not been properly accounted for.

In January 2013, Chief Magistrate Irene Akankwasa found Mukula guilty of embezzling Shs210 million and sentenced him to four years in prison.

But the legal battle was far from over. Mukula appealed the decision, and in March 2013, the High Court overturned his conviction after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove the case to the required legal standard. His prison sentence was subsequently quashed.

The wider GAVI scandal involved approximately Shs1.6 billion, with several former health ministry officials also facing investigations and prosecution. Former Health Minister Major General Jim Muhwezi and Dr Alex Kamugisha were among those who were acquitted at the no-case-to-answer stage.

Although Mukula’s conviction was overturned, the controversy left behind difficult questions about the supervision of international grants, financial controls and the responsibility of public officials.

Ultimately, the scandal highlighted the importance of transparency in managing donor resources. Money provided to protect children, support vaccination and strengthen healthcare systems must be subjected to strict accountability, regardless of the political positions or influence of those involved.