Herbert Musasizi, the head teacher of Kebisoni Integrated Primary School, and seven members of the PTA Executive Committee found themselves in hot water as they were arraigned before the Magistrates Court in Rukungiri District.
This follows a sting operation by the Anti-Graft State House Unit, working closely with Uganda Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The group stands accused of illegally imposing fees on pupils who are supposed to benefit from the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program, which is meant to be free for all. Even more scandalous, they allegedly expelled students whose parents couldn’t afford these unlawful charges.
The courtroom drama was set into motion after an uproar from outraged parents.
“We were shocked and felt betrayed,” Muzanira lamented. “UPE is supposed to provide our children with a free education, but instead, we were being extorted.” she added
According to insiders, the scheme had been running for months, with parents being pressured to pay various fees or risk their children being kicked out of school. The accused allegedly took advantage of the lack of oversight, exploiting the UPE program for personal gain.
The Anti-Graft Unit and Police swooped in after gathering substantial evidence, leading to the arrests.
Meanwhile, in a similar development, three suspects from Namutumba District were produced before the Chief Magistrates Court in Iganga on charges of theft of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds.
The accused include; Namugosa Farida, Woman Councilor for Nawampandu Parish,Namaba Rogers, PDM SACCO Chairperson for Nawampandu “A” and Kantono Ruth, PDM SACCO Chairperson for Kasegere B.
The trio, who hold leadership positions within SACCOs, allegedly exploited their roles between August and September 2023. According to the charges, they escorted PDM funds beneficiaries to banks, convinced them to withdraw their funds, and subsequently took the money from them under false pretenses.
The accused were presented in court this morning, where the gravity of their actions was laid bare. They have been remanded until August 2, 2024, when the case will be revisited.
