A senior official in Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport has been dramatically suspended after government accused him of leaking confidential documents, disobeying supervisors and using social media to wage a sustained attack against ministry programmes and officials.
Principal Road Safety Officer Ronald Amanyire was interdicted through a strongly worded letter dated April 30 and signed by Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa. The ministry accused Amanyire of conduct that allegedly violated public service rules and undermined government operations from within.
According to the interdiction letter, Amanyire allegedly used his X account, identified as “@amronaldo,” to publish internal ministry documents and sensitive government information without authorization. Officials argued that the actions breached provisions of Uganda’s Official Secrets Act as well as the Public Service Standing Orders governing conduct of civil servants.
The ministry further accused the road safety officer of neglecting official duties assigned to him by his supervisors. Authorities claimed that despite instructions issued in December 2024 requiring him to prepare and submit a performance plan, Amanyire allegedly failed to deliver the document or produce expected outputs up to now.
Government also linked the suspension to Amanyire’s persistent criticism of ministry projects and policies online. Officials alleged that between January 2024 and April 2026, he repeatedly posted claims of corruption within the transport sector, questioned the cost of computerized driving permit systems and challenged decisions connected to the Rationalisation of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure reforms.
Among the projects he allegedly criticized was the Intelligent Traffic Monitoring System (ITMS), a major government programme targeting vehicle monitoring and road security. The ministry argued that as a senior public officer, Amanyire was duty-bound to support such initiatives instead of publicly discrediting them.
Authorities further accused him of insubordination, claiming he repeatedly skipped departmental meetings and ignored earlier warnings from supervisors. The permanent secretary stated that although Amanyire had previously apologized and pledged cooperation, he allegedly continued what the ministry described as a media campaign against state institutions.
However, Amanyire responded defiantly through social media, insisting he was being punished for exposing corruption rather than misconduct. He accused ministry leadership of violating due process by interdicting him without a hearing and declared that he was prepared to bear the consequences of speaking out. Under the interdiction terms, he will remain on half salary during investigations, cannot access ministry premises without permission and is restricted from leaving the country without authorization.
