Published on 14/08/2025
Anti-Corruption Court has remanded the Uganda Police Force’s Commissioner for Human Resource Management, Eldard Mugume, over allegations of illegally recruiting six officers into the force more than a decade ago.
Mugume, 58, appeared before Grade One Magistrate Esther Asiimwe on Wednesday and was charged with six counts of abuse of office contrary to Section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, Cap 116.
Prosecution, led by State Attorney Samuel Ola, alleges that between February and March 2013, while stationed at Police Headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, Mugume unlawfully recruited Lizzie Namulinda, Aisha Namukasa, Lilly Birungi, Jasper Ekyoheirwe, Eva Amumpaire, and Pearl Kainembabazi at the rank of Inspector of Police.
According to the charge sheet signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo, Mugume is accused of committing “an arbitrary act prejudicial to the interest of his employer, in abuse of the authority of his office” when he made the appointments.
Investigators say the contested recruitment bypassed established procedures, undermining the credibility and integrity of the police’s human resource systems.
Although the charge sheet also names Human Resource Officer Waidha Lillian, she did not appear in court. At the prosecution’s request, Magistrate Asiimwe issued criminal summons requiring her to appear and answer to the charges.
Mugume’s defence team attempted to apply for bail, but Ms Asiimwe declined to hear the application, noting she was only presiding in the absence of the trial Chief Magistrate.
“I cannot entertain the bail application because I am only sitting in for the trial magistrate who is away,” Ms Asiimwe ruled before remanding Mugume until September 2.
If convicted, Mugume faces up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both, on each of the six counts.
Retired officer admits salary fraud
In a separate case before the same magistrate, retired police officer Francis Oyet pleaded guilty to knowingly receiving more than Shs20.6 million in salary payments after resigning from the force.
Prosecution told court that Oyet, despite no longer being in active service, continued to draw a salary to which he was not entitled.
“I admit the facts as read,” Oyet told the court quietly.
He was remanded until August 21 for sentencing.
Ghost workers probe
The cases are part of a wider investigation into ghost workers in government, launched after President Museveni directed the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to arrest officials involved in creating fictitious names on the payroll.
Last year, Mr Museveni instructed CID Director AIGP Tom Magambo to track down the perpetrators.
“This is not a political matter. I am going to write to CID to go for these people,” the President said in February, adding that payroll fraud was easy to detect.
CID has since arrested 12 senior officials from six agencies, including Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), Entebbe Hospital, Uganda Police Force, Ministry of Works and Transport, and Kyambogo University. More suspects are still being sought.
According to the Auditor General’s 2023 verification audit, there were over 10,000 suspected ghost workers — some deceased, retired, or long absent from duty — drawing an estimated Shs53 billion annually. A later validation exercise by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Service confirmed over 5,000 such cases.
Recently, the President ordered the Ministry of Works to sack 152 unqualified UCAA staff and criticised agencies for paying double salaries to civil servants holding more than one government job.
