Uganda’s Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG), Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe, has directed a senior Masaka District official to refund more than Shs 25 million that was unlawfully paid to a deceased civil servant.
The directive followed investigations by the IGG’s Masaka regional office, which revealed that district human resource officer, Kityo Mugagga, continued processing pension payments for Joseph Henry Kyeyune, a former technician with the East African Posts and Telegraph, who died in 2015.
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Officials said Mugagga deliberately altered Kyeyune’s records, including his date of birth, to extend the benefits. Pension payments went on for more than five years after Kyeyune’s death, with his family members withdrawing the funds from his Centenary Bank account.
Although he was eventually removed from the payroll in February 2022, records show that Shs 32.4 million had been irregularly paid out. A balance of Shs 7.1 million remained in the account, leaving Shs 25.3 million to be recovered.
The IGG ruled that Mugagga’s actions breached the Pensions Act and amounted to abuse of office, gross negligence, and failure to perform official duties. Alongside the repayment order, he faces disciplinary proceedings before the Masaka District Service Commission.
The case underscores ongoing concerns over “ghost pensioners” in Uganda’s public service.
Fraudulent payments to non-existent pensioners have long troubled the system. In 2012, government suspended the entire scheme after uncovering losses of more than Shs 155 billion. That same year, police identified another Shs 10 billion lost to over 3,000 ghost beneficiaries. A 2016 probe highlighted an additional Shs 23 billion siphoned off through the racket, while Auditor General reports from 2014 and 2015 pointed to monthly losses of Shs 12.7 billion and Shs 11 billion, respectively.
Recent audits have also flagged weaknesses in updating records of deceased civil servants. The Auditor General’s 2024 report warned that delays in deleting such records continue to expose the government to financial loss, despite efforts to integrate the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) with the Human Capital Management System.
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