Museveni Orders Cancellation of Police Bonds for Officials Accused of PDM Fund Extortion

President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to revoke police bonds granted to officials in the Lango subregion accused of extorting money from beneficiaries of the government’s Parish Development Model (PDM) program.

The officials were initially arrested on January 25, 2025, following a report by the late Oluka but were later released on police bond. However, in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Museveni directed that they be rearrested and prosecuted.

“Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu, I read a report written by the late Oluka on the 25th of January, 2025, regarding the corrupt officials in Lango who were extorting money from the PDM beneficiaries. They were arrested but were released on police bond,” Museveni stated.

He added, “Today, 2nd February, I have directed the IGP to cancel those police bonds and make sure that they are tried. Any official who does not do his duty in prosecuting those thieves (suspected) will be held accountable.”

Museveni’s directive comes a month after he instructed police to deny bond to suspected village thieves, citing their role in hindering the PDM’s success. In his New Year’s address on December 31, 2024, he warned that any police officer granting bond to such suspects would be held responsible.

“There is rampant stealing of cattle, goats, etc., and the soft handling by the police and the courts of such criminals through giving them police bonds and court bails. I have raised the issue of bails with His Lordship the Chief Justice, and I have banned the issue of police bonds. Any police personnel that give a police bond to a village thief when the case is ready for trial will be held fully accountable,” Museveni stated.

While the president argues that releasing suspects on police bond exacerbates crime, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) has strongly opposed his directive. ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde criticized the move, saying it undermines constitutional rights.

“The Uganda Law Society stands firmly against President Museveni’s purported directive to ban police bond and bail for individuals accused of embezzling PDM and Emyooga funds (who were improperly designated ‘village thieves’). This move contravenes Articles 23, 28(3)(a), and 99 of the Constitution and is a stark reminder of the colonial legacy of repression and mass incarceration that continues to plague our nation,” Ssemakadde stated.

He added that denying bond infringes on fundamental rights, arguing, “No person should be arbitrarily deprived of their liberty due to bureaucratic incompetence and overreach. It is time to break the police-to-prison pipeline that disproportionately targets the poor, civil society activists, and the political opposition, and forge a new path that prioritizes justice, equality, and human rights.”

Police bond and bail remain constitutional rights in Uganda, setting the stage for a potential legal and political showdown over the president’s directive.