UIRI BOSS PROF. KWESIGA DRAGGED TO LABOUR COURT! Faces Arrest Threat Over Ignoring Ministry Orders in Staff Dismissal Row

The Executive Director of the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), Prof. Charles Kwesiga, has been dragged before the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development over an escalating labour dispute involving three former employees who accuse the institute’s management of unfair reassignment, illegal removal from the payroll and failure to pay their salaries and gratuity.

The dispute has now taken a dramatic turn after the Ministry of Gender issued a second official notification warning UIRI management that failure to respond to the Labour Officer’s communication is an offence under the Employment Act, exposing the institute’s leadership to possible legal action for non-compliance.

In a letter addressed to the Executive Director and copied to the complainants, the Ministry reminded UIRI that it had failed to respond to a labour complaint filed by Ainebyona Lydia, Muhanguzi Peter Julius and Mwijukye Isiah.

The notification, issued on behalf of Permanent Secretary Aggrey David Kibenge, states that the complainants first lodged their complaint on August 25, 2025, but despite receiving the documents, UIRI had not submitted its response.

“I have not yet received your comments on the complaint made although I understand that the matter has not been settled to the satisfaction of the complainant,” the Ministry wrote.

The Ministry further warned that refusal to respond to communication from a Labour Officer is an offence contrary to Section 14 of the Employment Act, Cap 226 and ordered UIRI management to submit its response within seven days upon receipt of the letter.

The complaint stems from events that unfolded on the night of April 8, 2025, when the three employees attached to the office of Deputy Executive Director Dr. Dick Kamugasha say they unexpectedly received emails from Acting Human Resource Manager Alex Tumwizere informing them they had been reassigned with immediate effect.

The affected employees include Ainebyona Lydia, who served as Personal Assistant to the Deputy Executive Director, Muhanguzi Peter Julius, a driver, and Mwijukye Isiah, a security officer.

According to the complaint submitted to the Commissioner for Labour, none of them was consulted before the transfers were effected.

They claim that even their immediate supervisor, Dr. Kamugasha, was unaware of the decision when they informed him the following morning.

The trio argues that the reassignment was ordered to take effect the very next day, making it impossible to conduct a proper handover of office, something they say is a fundamental professional requirement.

The employees further allege that upon reporting to work the following day, they discovered that both the office of the Deputy Executive Director and that of the Personal Assistant had been broken into and fitted with new locks.

They say no explanation has ever been given regarding who authorized the breaking into the offices or changing of the locks.

Ainebyona says she remains deeply concerned about the personal belongings and official documents that were left inside the offices and whose safety has never been guaranteed.

The complaint further describes the reassignment as a deliberate career setback.

Ainebyona argues that moving her from Personal Assistant to the Deputy Executive Director to a Front Desk Officer amounted to a major professional demotion despite her academic qualifications.

She says she successfully completed a Bachelor of Office and Information Management at Makerere University and is a fully subscribed member of the Association of Secretaries and Administrative Professionals in Uganda (ASAPU).

She insists her qualifications would be grossly underutilised in the new assignment.

The three employees also point to what they describe as contradictions within UIRI’s leadership regarding the status of Deputy Executive Director Dr. Dick Kamugasha.

According to their complaint, then Trade Minister Francis Mwebesa communicated that Dr. Kamugasha had been reappointed and would remain in office until July 31, 2028.

However, they say internal communications from the Executive Director’s office repeatedly informed staff that the office of the Deputy Executive Director had fallen vacant on three separate occasions since September 2024.

The employees say this conflicting information created uncertainty within the institution because they continued reporting to Dr. Kamugasha every working day.

They further claim Dr. Kamugasha himself opposed the decision to remove them from his office, describing it as an attempt to undermine his ability to execute his duties under the terms of his reappointment.

The complainants say they sought intervention from both the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, but received no response.

They also approached the Human Resource Office after Serugo Osbert assumed office as Human Resource Manager.

However, they allege that instead of listening to their grievances or offering guidance, the Human Resource Manager simply dismissed their concerns.

The employees further accuse UIRI management of removing them from the payroll without any formal communication.

According to the complaint, they have not received salaries since April 2025, neither have they been paid their gratuity, while their colleagues continued receiving both salaries and benefits.

They say the situation has plunged them into financial distress as they continue servicing bank loans while supporting families who depend entirely on them.

“We have bank loans which we are servicing and families where we are the sole bread winners,” the complainants state in their letter.

The trio argues that they have unfairly become victims of what they describe as a leadership conflict between the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director.

“If there is a conflict between the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director, we do not see reason why we should be dragged into it and sacrificed,” they wrote while appealing for urgent intervention from the Labour Ministry.

The Ministry of Gender’s latest communication now raises the stakes for UIRI management by warning that continued failure to respond to the Labour Officer’s inquiries constitutes a breach of the Employment Act.

When contacted by RedPepper for a comment, Prof. Charles Kwesiga said the matter is being handled by the Human Resource Office through the justice system.

“The Human Resource office is handling the matter with the justice system,” Prof. Kwesiga said.

COMING NEXT…In our next investigative publication, RedPepper lifts the lid on what insiders describe as an institution gripped by fear, internal wrangles and a powerful network of insiders allegedly operating with little accountability. The investigation examines claims that an institute mandated to drive value addition, innovation, machinery fabrication and the growth of small and medium enterprises has instead struggled with allegations of ghost projects, questionable spending, internal power struggles and alleged family cartels.

Our investigation also examines insider claims of billions of taxpayers’ money allegedly spent with limited impact, growing staff discontent and an institution many believe has drifted far from its original mandate.

With Prof. Kwesiga’s contract expected to expire in June next year, insiders further allege that intense lobbying is underway behind the scenes as pressure continues to mount over the future leadership of the institute.

With Prof. Kwesiga’s contract expected to expire in June next year, and his deputy on forced ‘katebe’ insiders further allege that intense lobbying is underway behind the scenes as pressure continues to mount over the future leadership of the institute.