LUUKA: Three senior education officials in Luuka District have been interdicted following allegations of financial irregularities, promotion-related extortion and mismanagement of Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
The officials are District Education Officer Francis Kamyuka, Inspector of Schools Moses Galandi Mabuzi and District Inspector of Schools Jane Nabwire.
Their interdictions are contained in letters dated September 22, 2026, signed by Luuka Chief Administrative Officer Ronald Mutegeki, following an internal audit and complaints involving the district education department.
Mr Kamyuka is facing allegations linked to an unexplained Shs29.39 million salary arrears payment, as well as allegations that he solicited money from a teacher seeking promotion.
“The audit identified unusual and unmatched salary arrears payment to various individuals in the education and administration department totaling to Shs29,393,687,” Mr Mutegeki says in the interdiction letter.
The letter says the payment was initiated under the logging details “KSBASDHABE” on the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) and forwarded to the education department.
“As head of department you failed to detect the anomaly and Shs.29,393,687/= was paid from your Vote illegally,” the letter adds.
The district, however, does not allege in the letter that Mr Kamyuka personally received the Shs29.39 million.
Promotion allegations
Mr Kamyuka is also accused of extorting money from Kalembe Mary Oliver, a teacher at Bugabula Primary School, in connection with her promotion.
“It is alleged that you got Shs.3,000,000 (Three million shillings) from Kalembe Oliver, a Senior Education Assistant in order to help her secure a promotion,” the letter states.
The CAO further alleges that Mr Kamyuka received another Shs500,000 from Paul Birinde, Ms Oliver’s husband, as a further payment to facilitate her promotion.
“The matter is before the police and investigations are ongoing,” the letter says.
A separate investigation request dated August 26, 2026, from the Office of the President to the District Internal Security Officer in Luuka provides further details of the allegations surrounding Ms Oliver’s promotion.
The document alleges that Ms Oliver initially failed to secure promotion through the District Service Commission and later learned that Mr Kamyuka had allegedly opposed her promotion.
It further alleges that Mr Birinde met Mr Kamyuka, who allegedly linked Ms Oliver’s previous political support to her failure to secure promotion and demanded either a cow or a goat before she could be “forgiven”.
The investigation document alleges that Mr Birinde instead mobilised Shs500,000, which was allegedly paid to Mr Kamyuka.
These allegations have not been established.
Shs4m alleged promotion payment
The investigation document also implicates Mr Galandi, alleging that he approached Ms Oliver after her transfer to Budhabangula Primary School and asked whether she wanted to be promoted.
It alleges that Mr Galandi asked her to mobilise money for himself and Mr Kamyuka and cautioned her against disclosing the arrangement to her husband.
The document alleges that Ms Oliver subsequently obtained loans from Platinum Credit and BRAC Bank, totalling about Shs4.5 million.
It further alleges that Shs1 million was placed in an envelope for Mr Galandi while Shs3 million was allegedly intended for Mr Kamyuka, with the expectation that Ms Oliver would eventually be appointed head teacher.
Mr Galandi’s interdiction letter separately accuses him of acting as a link in alleged illegal dealings within the education department.
“It is also alleged that as Inspector of Schools, you are a conduit of illegal deals in the department. That you are a go-between, connecting the other staff in the department to the District Education Officer,” the letter states.
The allegations are subject to investigation.
PLE management questioned
Ms Nabwire, the District Inspector of Schools, was separately interdicted over allegations concerning the management of PLE in the district.
“I am in receipt of several reports alleging mismanagement of Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in the District,” Mr Mutegeki says in her interdiction letter.
The letter also alleges that Ms Nabwire collected illegal fees from head teachers of government and private schools.
“These are serious allegations if indeed they are true,” the CAO says.
The district says collecting illegal fees in connection with national examinations would contravene the Education Act and undermine the Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy by potentially hindering some pupils from sitting examinations.
Dispute over teacher’s conduct
The investigation document also records several allegations made against Ms Oliver after the disputed promotion process.
She was reportedly accused of negligence of duty and absenteeism and of laughing on a teachers’ platform over the non-release of examination results for Budhabangula Primary School.
In April 2026, she was reportedly summoned to the DEO’s office over an alleged absence from duty.
Ms Oliver reportedly explained that government schools had been closed during an industrial action by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) and denied improperly absenting herself.
On July 16, 2026, delegates from the CAO’s office reportedly visited Bugabula Primary School but did not find her.
According to the investigation document, Ms Oliver explained that she had gone to meet donors associated with Magweri Foundation over a proposed construction project at Nawankompe Primary School.
She subsequently received a letter from the DEO’s office concerning her absence and reportedly responded by apologising to the CAO and explaining the circumstances.
Officials placed on half pay
The three officials have been removed from exercising the powers and functions of their respective offices while the administrative process proceeds.
Mr Kamyuka was ordered to hand over to Senior Education Officer Nantale Nasabu, while Ms Nabwire was directed to hand over to Acting Education Officer for Guidance and Counselling Michael Muyinda.
Mr Galandi was directed to hand over to the chairperson of head teachers in the district.
The interdiction letters state that the officials will receive half of their monthly basic salary while on interdiction.
They have also been instructed not to frequent their offices without authorisation and not to leave the country without permission from the responsible officer.
The CAO cited provisions of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders, 2021, the Local Governments Act, Cap 138, and Public Service Commission Regulations, 2009.
Investigation recommended
The August investigation document recommends examination of bank statements, loan records, mobile-money transactions, employment records, District Service Commission minutes, promotion applications, appointment records and attendance registers.
It also recommends statements from Ms Oliver, Mr Birinde, Mr Kamyuka, Mr Galandi, Ms Nasabu, members of the District Service Commission and other potential witnesses.
The document says the allegations should be established through documentary evidence, financial records and witness testimony before responsibility is determined.
It also recommends that any official found to have solicited or received money in exchange for promotion or appointment be subjected to appropriate disciplinary or criminal proceedings in accordance with the law.
Efforts to obtain comment from Mr Kamyuka, Mr Galandi and Ms Nabwire were futile by press time.
The interdictions are administrative measures and do not, by themselves, constitute findings of guilt. The allegations remain subject to investigation and due process.
Luuka district is known for fraudulent practices and corruption scandals among civil servants. In 2021, the Inspectorate of Government arrested and arraigned three officials before the Anti-Corruption Court for causing a financial loss of UGX 24.9m to the government.
The Principal Human Resource Officer Mutagobya Fred, Principal Assistant Secretary Awuye Abdallah, and Human Resource Officer Rebecca Naisaza were accused of irregularly entering names on the government payroll as duly appointed teachers of Luuka District when they were not.
The offences were committed in FY 2012/2013 where the officials allegedly endorsed and submitted pay change reports for Haruna Balidawa, Irene Namulondo, Mariam Mukyara, Bob Musobya, George Kyakulaga and Godfrey Ben Kakaire, leading to losses of UGX 9,128,160, UGX 4,549,731 and UGX 11,244,035 respectively, in abuse of their offices.
In December 2025, Anti-corruption agencies arraigned two senior officials including Musisi Rajab, the Acting District Engineer, and Sengoba Daniel, an Assistant Engineering Officer (Civil) before the Iganga Chief Magistrate’s Court on charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and theft of fuel meant for road works.
According to the prosecution, these allegedly misappropriated fuel valued at Shs 222,396,900 during FY 2024/2025. The fuel was part of a Shs 1 billion Road Maintenance Grant that was intended for works on several district roads.
Similarly, in December last year, Muduuli George, the Head Teacher of Tabingwa Primary School, was also charged over a jobs-for-cash scheme linked to district recruitment. He was accused of extorting job seekers between Shs 5.7 million and Shs 17 million, allegedly claiming the money was to be paid to members of the District Service Commission to secure them jobs.
