Officials from the State House Health Monitoring Unit have arrested Nelson Kabweru, the Secretary of the Bugiri District Service Commission-DSC over alleged extortion and obtaining money through pretense.
The head of the State House Health Monitoring Unit in Eastern Uganda, Mpata Owa’gage says that Kabweru extorted undisclosed sums of money from unsuspecting job seekers.
Mpata further says that Kabweru connived with the Bugiri LCV Chairperson, Davidson Mulumba to erroneously recruit unqualified staff who lacked requisite academic documents, to occupy top offices in the health department.
Kabweru insists that he was blackmailed by Mulumba to employ only staff loyal to him, irrespective of their education inadequacies to fit within the then-available job placements in the health department.
Early last week Mpata held a consultative meeting with the Bugiri district political leaders and technocrats, following whistleblowers’ reports on how unqualified staff had been employed by the district’s health department.
Loopholes in the recruitment of the different staff within the health sector were identified, as some either lacked requisite academic documents, used documents of other individuals to acquire these jobs, or were employed to appease Mulumba, whom they campaigned for during the 2021 general elections.
Mpata, then directed police to arrest seven officials who failed to avail their academic documents and there was no trace of ever studying in the different universities, which they had claimed to have retained their academic transcripts over lack of tuition fees.
The implicated officers include; Isaac Malinga, the Bugiri district health inspector, Abraham Aklokin, the records officer in DHO’s office in Bugiri, Daniel Wandera deployed at the health desk in the Chief administrative officer’s office, Emmanuel Butanda, the Bugiri district hospital administrator, Kasaaga Charles, a senior nursing officer at Bugiri hospital, Robert Kitamirike, a lab technician at Bugiri general hospital and Molly Omoding, a nurse at Muterere health center III.
Mulumba, however, distanced himself from the claims, which he regarded as baseless and intended to tarnish his public image.
Mulumba says that he has been championing corruption-free recruitment processes and it is unlikely for him to engage in fraudulent activities.
However, Mpata adds that they have also arrested Isaac Mutesaya, who had been recruited as a porter, but ended up as the senior district driver under Mulumba.
Meanwhile, the Busoga East Police Spokesperson, Diana Nandawula says that efforts to hunt down other suspects are underway and they will be equally charged with fraud-related charges.
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