Immigration authorities and the Inspectorate of Government (IG) are gearing up to investigate serious claims that an Irish national, Gerry Anthony Cawley, has been illegally working in the country while playing a central role in a Shs 700 billion infrastructure project at the Kampala Industrial and Business Park in Namanve.
The investigation follows a petition filed by Robert Byamugisha, who accuses Cawley of consistently violating Uganda’s immigration and labour laws.
In the petition, also copied to Paul Kakamba, Chief Joint Security Officer at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Johnson Namanya, Commissioner of Immigration, Byamugisha alleges that Cawley has been entering Uganda on visitor visas for over seven years while carrying out full-time employment duties for Irish firm Lagan Group.
Cawley is said to be at the helm of key project activities—routinely leading meetings at Kampala Serena Hotel, conducting field inspections in Namanve, and overseeing technical operations—despite lacking the required work authorization.
Byamugisha further claims that Lagan Group, which is in a joint venture with Ugandan company Dott Services on the multimillion-dollar project, has never been registered with the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC).
He argues that this has allowed the firm to sidestep legal obligations for foreign employers, enabling a pattern of regulatory evasion.
“The joint venture is not only exploitative but also flouts Uganda’s immigration and labour laws,” his petition reads in part.
This controversy emerges amid increasing global competition for Uganda’s infrastructure projects, with growing tensions between Western firms and those backed by China and Russia.
When contacted for a response, Lagan’s local representative, Andrew Bamanya, dismissed the allegations as baseless.
“Whoever this Byamugisha is, his claims are ridiculous. This is simply a tactic by our competitors to disrupt our progress,” Bamanya said. “Don’t waste your time publishing that nonsense. We’ll take legal action for defamation.”
The IG has not yet confirmed when the probe will commence, but immigration officials say the matter is being taken seriously given its potential implications for Uganda’s sovereignty and regulatory integrity.
