The Anti-Corruption Court has pushed to September 2, 2025, the hearing of criminal summons issued against former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Principal, Prof. Wasswa Balunywa, after his lawyers informed court that he was unwell.
Balunywa was expected to appear on Wednesday, August 20, to answer to charges of abuse of office. The summons, issued last week, followed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo’s decision to sanction the case.
During the court session, Balunywa’s legal team informed the court that he was unwell, confirming that he would appear whenever required and duly served.
Balunywa is among several current and former government officials implicated in a ghost workers scandal.
According to the charge sheet, Balunywa is accused of bypassing proper recruitment procedures in March 2023 when he appointed three individuals Arike James, Nuwagira Nathan, and Nimrod Kakayi as Administrative Assistants.
The prosecution alleges that the appointees lacked the minimum academic qualifications required, yet were absorbed into the school’s payroll.
“Prof. Balunywa recruited Nimrod Kakayi as an Administrative Assistant well knowing that he did not have the minimum academic qualifications for the position, thereby creating ineligible costs for the Government of Uganda,” DPP Abodo stated in her submission.
Balunywa is jointly charged with Jacqueline Namaganda, who at the time served as Acting Director of Human Resources and now heads Quality Assurance at MUBS.
She faces charges of neglect of duty for allegedly failing to verify the eligibility of the appointments, thus enabling their irregular employment.
The case is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader UGX 53 billion ghost payroll investigation, which has already ensnared officials across several agencies.
More than eight government officials from the Civil Aviation Authority, Uganda Police, MUBS, and Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital were charged and remanded in relation to the payroll scandal last week.
Police detectives continue to widen the probe, targeting more suspects believed to be part of the network.