MUKONO – A senior official from Lugazi Municipality has been arraigned in court over allegations of obtaining money by false pretense and conspiring to defraud a job applicant of millions of shillings, in a case that has exposed a suspected racket of selling government jobs.
Mugerwa Ronald Saaku, the Probation & Welfare Officer for Lugazi Municipality, was produced before the Mukono Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. He faces charges of Obtaining Money by False Pretense and Conspiracy to Defraud. The court remanded him until October 21, 2025.
The prosecution, led by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), alleges that between January and June 2025, Mugerwa conspired with two other officials to defraud Dr. Mukisa George William.
The co-accused, who are currently at large, are Dr. Wataba Saadi, the Lugazi Municipal Medical Officer, and Sekikubo Mubarak, an LCIII representative from Nakisunga Sub-County.
According to the charge sheet, the trio allegedly convinced Dr. Mukisa to pay UGX 38,000,000 (Thirty-Eight Million Shillings) under the false pretense that the money was meant to facilitate members of the Mukono District Service Commission (DSC) to secure him a position as a Medical Officer within the district—a job for which he had formally applied.
The scheme began to unravel after a whistleblower filed a complaint with the State House Anti-Corruption Unit on July 7, 2025. The complaint detailed alleged widespread irregularities and corruption in recruitments conducted by the Mukono District Service Commission. It was reported that Commission members were systematically soliciting and receiving bribes from applicants for various government positions.
Following the investigations, criminal summons have been issued for Dr. Wataba Saadi to appear in court. Authorities have also confirmed that other cases, where the same officials allegedly connived with members of the Commission to extort money from job seekers, are still under active investigation.
The case has drawn attention to the highest levels of government. A statement from the investigative bodies noted that His Excellency the President has repeatedly warned District Service Commissions across Uganda against the illegal sale of government jobs. The President has further directed all relevant authorities to take stern action against individuals involved in such corrupt practices.
This prosecution is seen as a direct result of that directive, signaling a crackdown on corruption within local government recruitment processes.
