The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has formally charged two senior Uganda Police officers with criminal offenses tied to irregular recruitments that took place more than a decade ago.
Commissioner of Human Resource Management Mugume Eldard, 58, and Human Resource Officer Waidha Lillian, 37, are accused of unlawfully recruiting six individuals as Inspectors of Police between February and March 2013, bypassing official recruitment procedures.
The six recruits implicated in the case are Namulinda Lizzie, Namukasa Aisha, Birungi Lilly, Ekyoheirwe Jasper, Amumpaire Eva, and Kainembabazi Pearl. Each recruitment is treated as a separate offense, resulting in six counts of abuse of office under Section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, Cap 116.
Prosecutors allege that the two officers used their positions to make appointments in a manner described as “arbitrary and prejudicial,” undermining the integrity of the Uganda Police Force and violating both internal regulations and anti-corruption laws.
DPP Jane Frances Abodo sanctioned the charges, allowing the matter to proceed to court. Following their initial appearance, Mugume and Waidha were remanded to prison, with a bail hearing set before the Chief Magistrates Court on 2nd September.
Abuse of office, under Ugandan law, covers actions by public officials that compromise the interests of their employer or the public, a charge the DPP says is substantiated by the alleged irregular appointments.