PACEID Rejects Calls to Halt Operations, Urges Due Process Amid Legal Challenges
Kampala, Uganda – The Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) has issued a firm response regarding recent allegations involving its members, reaffirming its commitment to due process and highlighting its continued legal operations and export mandate.
Addressing the situation, PACEID maintained that any suspected case must be handled within the legal framework. “Let the evidence be tested,” the statement read, urging that any case be brought before a competent court to be tried fairly and impartially. It further emphasized that both the arrest and treatment of any presumed offender should follow the law, remaining humane and non-humiliating, in accordance with constitutional and legal protections.
The committee explicitly defended Matthew Bagonza, stating he “can defend himself and the institution he works for,” and called for the law to take its course in his case.
Regarding the status of the committee itself, PACEID categorically rejected calls to suspend its activities, stating that it remains “operational and lawful.” The committee pointed out that its mandate comes from its commissioning on March 16, 2022, and stated that any change to that mandate “must happen through a due process,” not through an “anonymous message on social media.”
PACEID highlighted that all its quarterly and annual reports regarding its achievements and initiatives are consistent, underscoring its work in strengthening Uganda’s entrepreneurs and export sector. In response to the ongoing situation, the committee encouraged all international partners, global trade representatives, logistics partners, and financial entities involved in the 13 value chain products to maintain peace and “keep all due activities as usual.”
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