How a Wave of High-Profile Recruitment Scandals is Shaking Government Institutions

From the corridors of the Uganda Police Force to the lecture halls of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) and the offices of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), a string of high-profile corruption cases is exposing deep cracks in the country’s recruitment and payroll systems.

On Wednesday, the Anti-Corruption Court remanded Commissioner of Police Eldard Mugume to Luzira Prison on six counts of abuse of office over allegations that, in 2013, he unlawfully recruited six individuals into the police force — all granted the rank of Inspector of Police. Mugume, who pleaded not guilty before Grade One Magistrate Esther Asiimwe, will remain in custody until September 2, 2025.

His co-accused, Police Human Resource Officer Waidha Lillian, faces similar charges but failed to appear in court, prompting the magistrate to issue a criminal summons. Prosecutors say the duo acted “arbitrarily and prejudicially” to the interests of the police, reviving concerns about ghost workers and irregular appointments in the force.

If convicted under the Anti-Corruption Court Act, each faces up to seven years in prison.

A Broader Pattern of Abuse
The Mugume case is just one of several recruitment scandals currently before the Anti-Corruption Court. Former police officer Francis Oyet this week pleaded guilty to causing a loss of 20.6 million shillings to the government after continuing to draw a salary despite having voluntarily resigned. His alleged accomplice, Police Principal Human Resource Officer Aryatuha Dora, is accused of failing to remove his name from the payroll.

Similar patterns are alleged at MUBS, where former principal Professor Wasswa Balunywa and Chief Quality Assurance Manager Jacqueline Namaganda are charged with unlawfully hiring three administrative assistants without the required academic qualifications. Prosecutors say the appointments, made between February and April 2023, led to ineligible costs for the government.

Civil Aviation Authority Under the Microscope
At the UCAA, senior managers are accused of allowing former staff members to remain on the payroll months after their employment had ended. Human Resource Manager Jennifer Etit Okaka, Legal Services Manager Okwalinga Joseph Joel, and former Security Assistant Atukunda Irene Kagume are among those charged.

Prosecutors allege that Atukunda absconded from her duties for a year but still collected 146.5 million shillings in salaries and benefits. Okaka is accused of failing to remove her and another ex-employee from the payroll, while Okwalinga allegedly accepted Atukunda’s resignation without subjecting her to the mandatory disciplinary process.

A System Under Strain
Beyond individual misconduct, the cases point to systemic weaknesses in public sector oversight, where lax enforcement and manipulation of hiring processes enable fraud and abuse. At MUBS, former security in charge Ojuku Ibrahim is accused of failing to report a ghost guard’s absence, leading to a 41.65 million shilling loss. In another case, Police Senior Engineering Assistant James Sekalumba allegedly held two government jobs for over a decade, in violation of public service regulations.

Analysts say the breadth of the cases — cutting across education, aviation, and law enforcement — underscores the need for tighter recruitment controls, stronger payroll auditing, and real consequences for abuse of authority.

The court proceedings, still in their early stages, have attracted national attention not only for the prominence of the accused but also for what they reveal about vulnerabilities in Uganda’s human resource management across public institutions.

For now, many of the accused remain in Luzira awaiting trial or sentencing. Whether the prosecutions will mark a turning point in Uganda’s fight against payroll fraud and abuse of office remains to be seen — but the message from the Anti-Corruption Court is clear: no institution is beyond scrutiny.

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