LUGAZI, UGANDA — Officials from Lugazi Municipality, including the Probation and Welfare Officer, Mugerwa Ronald Saaku, are facing charges related to a widespread job-selling scam that has rocked Mukono District. Mugerwa was arraigned in Mukono Chief Magistrate’s Court today, where he faces allegations of Obtaining Money by False Pretense and Conspiracy to Defraud. He has been remanded in custody until October 21, 2025.
The charges stem from a fraudulent scheme that allegedly took place between January and June 2025, where Mugerwa conspired with two other individuals — Dr. Wataba Saadi, the Lugazi Municipal Medical Officer, and Sekikubo Mubarak, an LCIII representative from Nakisunga Sub-County. Both are currently at large.
According to the charges, the three accused individuals swindled UGX 38 million from a job applicant, Dr. Mukisa George William, by falsely promising they could secure him a position as a Medical Officer in Mukono District. The accused claimed that the money was necessary to bribe members of the Mukono District Service Commission (DSC) to ensure Dr. Mukisa’s selection for the job.
As part of the investigation, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), along with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), have already issued criminal summons for Dr. Wataba Saadi, who remains on the run.
The case came to light on July 7, 2025, when a whistleblower reported irregularities and corruption in recruitment processes by the Mukono DSC. It was revealed that members of the Commission were allegedly soliciting bribes from job seekers for various government positions, prompting a wider investigation into possible corrupt practices.
Several other cases involving the same officials, allegedly in collusion with some members of the Commission, are still under investigation. The charges come after a series of public warnings from President Yoweri Museveni about the illegal sale of government jobs. In his speeches, the President has repeatedly emphasized the need for stringent action against those engaging in such corrupt practices.
“The government will not tolerate the illegal sale of jobs to Ugandans, and appropriate action will be taken,” the President has stated on several occasions.
The investigation into the scandal is ongoing, with authorities promising to bring all those responsible to justice, regardless of their position or influence.
