The State House Anti-Corruption Unit, in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), arraigned six officials from Ntungamo District before the Anti-Corruption Division Court on charges of Causing Financial Loss and Abuse of Office.
The accused officials include the District Education Officer, the Municipal Education Officer, and five Head Teachers from different government schools in Ntungamo District. The individuals facing charges are:
Bahati Fred – District Education Officer
Nabaasa Gordon – Municipal Education Officer
Nabasa Rushegyera Abias – Former Head Teacher, Ntungamo Primary School
Komuhangi Allen – Head Teacher, Ruhoko Primary School
Munuunura Bernards – Head Teacher, Maato Primary School
Ntereire Geoffrey – Head Teacher, Kikoni SDA Primary School
According to investigators, the accused officials fraudulently inflated the number of pupils in their schools in order to receive higher capitation grants from the government.
Massive Fraud Uncovered in Capitation Grants
Investigations revealed that in the 2023/2024 financial year, the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development had been disbursing capitation grants for 124,817 pupils across 249 Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools in Ntungamo District, based on data submitted by the Ministry of Education.
However, an audit found that the actual number of pupils in the district was only about 80,000, rather than the 121,094 reported. This discrepancy of over 40,000 “ghost” pupils resulted in an estimated financial loss of UGX 1 billion to the government.
Key Findings of the Investigation
The fraudulent activities leading to the financial loss were attributed to two major factors:
Inflated Pupil Numbers: Headteachers in UPE schools falsified the number of pupils enrolled in their schools in order to secure more capitation grants from the government.
Negligence by the District Education Department: The District Education Department failed to verify the authenticity of pupil enrollment figures submitted by Headteachers before forwarding the data to the Ministry of Education. As a result, the Ministry of Finance relied on inaccurate statistics, leading to the misallocation of funds.
Further findings indicated that many UPE Headteachers did not adhere to the proper guidelines for spending capitation and education grants. In most cases, Headteachers failed to provide accountability for the funds received, and the District Education Department did not demand financial accountability before approving subsequent releases.
Additional Charges for Conspiracy to Defeat Justice
In addition to the six officials facing prosecution, two teachers, Tunanukye Marsaile and Nkumiriza Molly, will also be arraigned before the Ntungamo Chief Magistrates Court on charges of conspiracy to defeat justice.
The two are accused of interfering with an official investigation into pupil enrollment at Nyakasi Primary School by transferring nursery pupils to Primary One in an attempt to manipulate student enrollment records.
Government’s Commitment to Fighting Corruption
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has reiterated its commitment to rooting out corruption in Uganda’s education sector and ensuring public funds are used transparently to benefit genuine beneficiaries. The case against the accused officials marks yet another effort to hold accountable those who misuse public resources at the expense of service delivery.
