Former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) principal, Prof. Waswa Balunywa, has failed to appear in court — sending his lawyers instead, who claimed he was unwell.
Prof. Balunywa, one of several high-profile figures named in the ghost workers scandal, faces three counts of abuse of office, according to a charge sheet signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). His legal team told the court that while he could not attend due to illness, he is ready to appear whenever he is “duly served.”
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Court has granted bail to other top officials implicated in the same scandal.
MUBS administrator Jacqueline Namaganda, co-accused with Balunywa, walked free on Shs4 million cash bail and Shs50 million non-cash bail over charges of abuse of office and neglect of duty.
Separately, Uganda Police Human Resource Commissioner Eldard Mugume and Ms. Lillian Waidha were also granted bail on similar terms. The pair stand accused of illegally recruiting individuals into the police force between February and March 2013.
All three suspects were ordered to deposit their passports with the court as part of the bail conditions.
The scandal, which has exposed rot in both academic and government institutions, has sparked public outrage, with critics demanding stronger action against “ghost employees” draining the state coffers.
For Balunywa, once hailed as a reformist educationist, the stakes remain high — his absence from court only intensifying scrutiny as the ghost workers saga tightens its grip on Uganda’s elite.
