Government loses over 69M to ghost teachers payments

At least Shillings 69 million was paid to none existent teachers in several schools in Luweero district in the 2013/14 and 2014/2015, a report by the District Public Accounts Committee has revealed.

The ghost teachers were found in Bombo Army, St Kizito, Kiberenge and Wakataayi Primary schools and Bombo secondary school.

The report also shows that 12 schools have failed to account for Shillings 42 million that was disbursed under Universal Primary and Secondary Education programs in the two financial years under review.

The implicated schools include Luweero Seed Secondary School,Kasana S.S,Wobulenzi UMEA,Nyimbwa C/U,Kibula RC ,Naluvule R/C,Katuumu RC and Sambwe Orthodox Primary schools among others.

The report shows that although the money was disbursed to the implicated schools in the 2013/14 and 2014/2015 financial years, to date management has failed to explain how the funds were spent.

Umar Musoke Maalo, the Luweero District Public Accounts Committee chairperson, says the head teachers failed to account for the money since some of them embezzled it while others spent it on unbudgeted areas.

Christopher Oketayot, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Luweero district, says the ghost teachers have since been deleted from the payroll following the decentralization of the payment system.

He says the district has also embarked on the process of recovering funds from head teachers who failed to account for the UPE money.

Ronald Ndawula, the Luweero LC 5 Chairperson, says mismanagement of funds in government schools has crippled the education sector in the district.

Mathias Katende, the former head teacher of Katuumu R/C Primary School who is implicated in the report admits that he failed to present accountability to PAC during the audit.

He however, says he is ready to defend himself once he is summoned. Our reporter couldn't reach some of the head teachers and bursars implicated in the report, since they broke off for holidays.

In his report recently, the Auditor General also revealed that Luweero district lost Shillings 50 million to fraud in the 2014/2015 financial year due to week controls and supervision. Currently, six officials in Luweero district are on interdiction over graft related cases.

-URN