Rwabwogo aide Bagonza gets Shs20m bail, ordered to surrender passport and land titles

The Anti-Corruption Court has granted Matthew Bagonza bail but ordered him to surrender his passport and two land titles as security while he faces money laundering and abuse of office charges.

Bagonza heads the secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), chaired by Odrek Rwabwogo.

Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga granted him cash bail of Shs20 million on October 14, 2026. Each of his five sureties must execute a non-cash bond of Shs30 million. 

The court barred Bagonza from travelling outside Uganda without its permission. He must also deposit his land title and his sister’s title with the court.

Bagonza must report to the court registrar whenever his case comes up for mention before the magistrate’s court.

The ruling follows his remand to Luzira Prison on September 17, 2026, over allegations involving the registration of a private company and transfers to his personal bank account. 

Prosecutors allege that Bagonza abused his authority in January 2024 by irregularly incorporating a private company called Presidential Initiative on Export and Industrial Development.

They contend that the company had objectives similar to those of PACEID, his employer under the Office of the President, and that its registration harmed the government’s interests.

The money laundering charge concerns alleged transfers totalling Shs171.7 million to Bagonza’s personal account at Housing Finance Bank’s Kololo branch.

Prosecutors allege that Bagonza and others still at large made the transfers between September 1, 2023, and August 30, 2026, to conceal the funds’ illicit origin. The allegations remain before court. 

In his bail application, Bagonza argued that he had a fixed home and substantial sureties to guarantee his return to court. He also cited the presumption of innocence. 

PACEID supports Uganda’s export growth and industrial development. Its work includes helping businesses reach foreign markets, meet product standards and access financing. Rwabwogo, its chairman, is President Yoweri Museveni’s son-in-law.