A head teacher of a Church of Uganda Primary School has been arrested for submitting wrong enrolment figures for the institution he is expected to diligently superintend over.
State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) have caused the arrest, arraignment in court and remanding of the head teacher.
Identified as Robert Welishe, the suspect was the head teacher of Butale Church of Uganda Primary School.
He appeared before the Masaka Chief Magistrate Court where he was read to charges of providing false information.
Prosecution alleges that between February and May 2024, the accused, being a Head teacher of Butale C.O.U Primary School submitted wrong information of the pupil enrollment records to the Masaka City Education Officer.
The state further alleges that Welishe informed the Masaka City Education Officer that 423 UPE pupils had been enrolled which prosecutors say was not true.
State prosecution argues that Robert Welishe, who was remanded until December 23, 2024, knew that his actions would cause financial loss to the Government of the Republic of Uganda.
The issue of ghost pupils and students as well as teachers remains a thorny one. With most school bosses earning low salaries, some head teachers reportedly inflate their enrolment figures to get more in capitation grants and other government financial support.
Museveni’s government recently increased salaries of secondary school science head teachers but arts teachers and primary school teachers and head teachers are yet to be worked on. (See salary structures as well as more details Here, There and Over There).
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