Attorney General Threatens to Sue Observer Media for Defamation

Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka has refuted media reports that claim he orchestrated the arrest of the accountant General Lawrence Semakula and other staff of the ministry of finance, planning and economic development.

The officials were arrested and charged for offences related to the theft of 14 million US dollars (sh.60 billion) from the Bank of Uganda.

The Observer newspaper in an article dated 12^th February 2025 has alleged that the arrest and arraignment of Semakula was the result of a diabolical plot orchestrated by Kiryowa with the help of others.

“We have landed on names like Kiryowa Kiwanuka, Anita Among, director general of police’s CID AIGP Tom Magambo and undersecretary at ministry of Finance Edward Sengonzi that were syndicated in dealing a bad blow at Semakula at whatever time and cost,” reads part of the article.

In a letter dated 12^th February 2025, Addressed to The Observer, Kiryowa said that the reports are false and malicious because he doesn’t work in the ministry of finance and has never had any interest official or personal in any persons who work there.

The Observer report alleges that Kiryowa Kiwanuka and the Finance permanent secretary Ramathan Gggobi are the individuals at the centre of a conspiracy to mudsling and punish Semakula. 

However Kiryowa in his letter denies the allegations “Because the allegations are entirely false, the only conclusion to be drawn is that the allegations made are intended to lower me in the estimation of the right thinking members of society generally,” writes Kiryowa.

He asked The Observer to immediately retract the defamatory allegations and issue a public apology with 24 hours or else he will seek redress from the courts of law