The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) working with the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Office of the Director Public Prosecutions have today arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Division Court six Ntungamo district officials including the District Education Officer, a Municipal Education Officer and Five Head Teachers on charges of Causing Financial Loss and Abuse of Office.
They include Bahati Fred- District Education Officer; Nabaasa Gordon (Municipal Education Officer); Abias Nabasa Rushegyera (Former Head Teacher, Ntungamo Primary School); Allen Komuhangi (Head Teacher, Ruhoko Primary School); Bernards Munuunura (Head teacher, Maato Primary School); and Geoffrey Ntereire, the Head Teacher, Kikoni SDA Primary School.
The accused being employed by Ntungamo District Local Government and government of Uganda in different government schools in Ntungamo District had been inflating the number of pupils in their schools in order to get more capitation grants from the government.
Investigations revealed that the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development was paying capitation grants for 124,817 pupils in 249 Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools in Ntungamo District for FY 2023/2024, according to Ministry of Education records.
However, it was revealed that the district has only about 80,000 pupils, as opposed to the 121,094 pupils reported by the Ministry.
This discrepancy suggested there are over 40,000 “ghost” pupils for whom the government is paying capitation grants, resulting in a financial loss of approximately UG shs1 billion.
SHACU attributed this negligence by the District Education Department, which they say failed to verify the pupil numbers submitted by the UPE Headteachers before forwarding them to the Ministry of Education, thus ultimately leading the Ministry of Finance receiving incorrect data, which was used for financial releases.
They also noted that some headteachers inflated pupil numbers hoping to receive more capitation grants.
Findings also indicated that UPE Headteachers did not follow the proper guidelines for spending capitation and education grants, while most headteachers lacked any accountabilities for the funds, and the District Education Department failed to demand accountability before facilitating subsequent financial releases.
SHACU also noted that two teachers; Marsaile Tunanukye and Molly Nkumiriza will also be arraigned before the Ntungamo Chief Magistrates Court on charges of conspiracy to defeat justice after they interfered with the execution of an investigation to the enrolment of pupils in primary section at Nyakasi Primary School by transferring nursery pupils to primary one.
