By KT Reporter
The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has directed the dismissal of four public officials from Bundibugyo, Dokolo, and Koboko districts after investigations revealed they used forged academic documents to obtain jobs and promotions in the public service.
A statement from the IGG’s office confirmed that the officials submitted falsified credentials, some of which were used to obtain court-awarded compensation or promotions. “The orders were signed by the Deputy Inspector General of Government, Mrs. Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe, following successful investigations by the Inspectorate of Government,” the statement reads in part.
The implicated officials include Charles Agaba and Eve Ithungu from Bundibugyo District Local Government, David Dimba Kenyi from Koboko Municipal Council, and Okello David Livingstone from Dokolo District Local Government. In Bundibugyo, Charles Agaba, an Assistant Inventory Management Officer, reportedly submitted a forged bachelor’s degree in Procurement and Logistics Management, allegedly issued by Kyambogo University.
“He submitted a forged Certificate No. KYU–B 10839 and Academic Transcript No. 027976 to Bundibugyo DLG,” the IG report stated. These fake documents were later used to sue the district after he was denied a promotion in 2019—a case he won, securing court-awarded compensation of UGX 35 million.
Eve Ithungu is accused of using a forged diploma in Public Administration, purportedly from Uganda Pentecostal University, to secure her appointment as Parish Chief. In Koboko, David Dimba Kenyi was promoted to Principal Education Officer in 2018 based on a letter allegedly from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), equating his Sudan School Certificate to the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). However, UNEB has since disowned the letter.
“The said letter of equivalence formed the basis for his subsequent academic pursuit and employment… UNEB has since denied issuing the said letter,” the IG’s office noted. In Dokolo, Okello David Livingstone, currently the District Inspector of Schools, is accused of forging his appointment and posting letters. He claimed to have been appointed under a minute that was found to belong to another individual.
He also presented fake posting instructions from the Ministry of Education and Sports to justify his deployment to Kangai Secondary School in 2007—documents later used to support his promotion in 2018. According to the IG, these acts constitute criminal offenses under Section 328 of the Penal Code Act, which provides that: “Any person who knowingly and fraudulently utters a false document commits an offence of the same kind and is liable to the same punishment as if he or she had forged the thing in question.”
Their conduct also qualifies as gross misconduct under the Public Service Standing Orders (2021), which defines such actions as eroding the trust between public officers and their employer, warranting dismissal in the public interest. The Inspectorate has repeatedly raised concerns over the increasing number of public servants using forged academic documents, particularly in local governments.
Officials warn that the presence of unqualified individuals not only undermines service delivery but also deprives deserving candidates of opportunities, amounting to a grave injustice. The IGG’s office continues to discover similar cases annually, with some individuals having stayed undetected in the system for decades. In one shocking case, a health officer on the government payroll since 1993 was found never to have attended any medical training institution.
In response, the IGG has advised District Service Commissions to thoroughly vet applicants by verifying their academic credentials directly with the awarding institutions. Chief Administrative Officers have also been urged to allocate budgetary resources for document verification as a standard part of the recruitment process-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
