UNBS ED fired from office  

The executive director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), David Livingstone Ebiru, has been fired from his job over charges related to misconduct and misappropriation funds at the UNBS. 

A July 20, 2023 letter seen by The Observer from Henry Mwebesa the minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to Ebiru read in part, “In light of the serious allegations raised against you, you are hereby directed to step aside for a period of six months with effect from today July 20, 2023, to enable sufficient investigations into your misappropriation of funds, misconduct and abuse of office”. 

While appearing before Cosase yesterday, Mwebesa said they had informally agreed with Ebiru for him to step aside for six months to create room for the investigations into the charges levied against him. Mwebesa added, “As we talk here, I expect this man to be on leave”. 

Ebiru’s knifing comes two days since the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) launched an inquiry into the audit queries raised in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2021/2022. 

The report implicated Ebiru in misappropriating Shs 12.9 billion and shielding five staff from reprimand after they caused financial loss worth Shs 9.3 billion. The five staff are accused of allegedly backdating inspection reports and editing application dates on the UNBS applications e-portal. 

While appearing before Cosase on July 19, 2023; Ebiru stunned the committee members when he confirmed bribing the board members of UNBS with Shs 100 million for him to retain his job at the helm of UNBS.

“I was asked by the board chairperson (Charles Musekura) that I must do the needful to cool down what is going on. I was shown a letter from the minister (Mwebesa) to him to dismiss me arising from that letter from the IGG. I borrowed the money and I handed it to Mr Omara one of the representatives of the chairman. He picked the money from my office in a bag.”