TRANSPARENCY: CoST Uganda Commissions 2nd Infrastructure Transparency Index
Shift Media News 
By SMN INVESTIGATIONS DESK
KAMPALA- SHIFTMEDIA- On March 12 2021 we published in our investigative pages how corrupt immigration officials are minting money from desperate passport seekers- (https://shiftmedianews.com/agony-how-corrupt-immigration-officials-are-minting-millions-from-desperate-passport-seekers/)
In our investigations, we unearthed how scandalous immigration officials were taking advantage of the desperate citizens to enrich themselves.
Some were demanding between shs500,000 to shs2million to process fast passports that officially goes for shs400,000.
The good news today is that the State House Anti Corruption Unit headed by the tough Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema swung into action and results are beginning to yield.
The rotten apples are being smoked out with the latest being one Jessica Kalenge, an Immigration Officer attached to the Internal Affairs Ministry headquarters in Kampala.
Kalenge who is currently chilling in Kigo prisons was arrested by a team of detectives from Nakalema’s dreaded Unit.
She was demanding a bribe of shs350,000 from a passport seeker to process his travel documents fast.
Nakawa Grade One Magistrate Ponsiano Odwori remanded Kalenge after she appeared at the Nakawa Magistrate court on Tuesday.
Prosecution told the court that on March 12, while at the Internal Affairs Ministry headquarters in Kampala, Ms Kalenge with intent to steal, demanded Shs350,000 from Yonah Mugoya.
Ms Kalenge allegedly demanded the money when Mr Mugoya called her on phone to find out whether his passport was ready.
However, Ms Kalenge reportedly told Mugoya not to bother her if he was not willing to give her Shs300,000 to expedite the process of issuing the passport.
Ms Kalenge pleaded not guilty to the charges and applied for bail through her lawyer, Gordon Kifudde.
Though her lawyers defended her bail application on grounds that she has two infant children who need care, and that she was expectant, the magistrate declined and remanded her until April 8 2021.
Barbara Kyomugisha the State Prosecutor objected to the bail application on grounds that the suspect is likely to interfere with the ongoing investigations, once released on bail.
According to detectives, they have since received several complaints from other people in eastern Uganda implicating Kalenge for demanding money to expedite the processing of their passports.
