Hoima Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Rogers Mbabazi, who was arrested over allegations of extortion, has been transferred to a health facility in Kampala after his condition reportedly deteriorated while in police custody.
Mbabazi was arrested on Saturday following complaints from residents during the ongoing “Expose the Corrupt Campaign,” in which several people accused him of demanding money from individuals seeking his intervention in land disputes.
The arrest was carried out by detectives from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit at Kigorobya Muslim Primary School in Kigorobya Sub-county, following a directive by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara, who had listened to the residents’ complaints.
Some residents alleged that Mbabazi demanded between Shs1 million and Shs5 million from people seeking his intervention in land-related disputes.
Others accused him of working with individuals involved in land grabbing to intimidate residents and threaten them with eviction from their ancestral land.
Following his arrest, Mbabazi was detained at Hoima Central Police Station as investigations into the allegations began.
However, he reportedly developed health complications while in detention and was taken to EDPA Hospital in Hoima City for medical attention under tight security.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region police spokesperson, said on Tuesday afternoon that Mbabazi’s condition worsened on Monday, prompting doctors to refer him to a health facility in Kampala for further treatment.
Hakiza said the RDC remained under police guard as he received medical care, adding that investigations into the allegations against him were ongoing.
“The RDC developed an illness while at Hoima Central Police Station. We took him to EDPA Hospital in Hoima City, where he had been admitted, but his condition worsened, and he was referred to a health facility in Kampala for proper management,” Hakiza said.
The allegations against Mbabazi emerged during the “Expose the Corrupt Campaign,” an initiative through which residents raise complaints about suspected corruption and abuse of office by public officials.
The accusations against the RDC have yet to be established through the ongoing investigations. Mbabazi’s arrest does not in itself amount to proof of wrongdoing.
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