The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) has arrested nine government officials over a massive payroll fraud that drained more than 53 billion shillings from public funds. The suspects work in various government agencies, including the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority.
Investigators say the officials were part of a scheme that created “ghost” beneficiaries—fake employees secretly added to the government payroll—so they could collect the salaries themselves.
More than 40 of these “ghost workers” are still at large. Police have launched a manhunt and are gathering evidence to track down every person connected to the scam.
The revelation has outraged many Ugandans, who are questioning how such a huge theft could go unnoticed for so long. The case has also exposed glaring weaknesses in the way government salaries are managed and monitored.
CID officials say the investigation will dig deeper to find out who approved the payments, how the racket was organized, and where the stolen billions went. For now, the nine arrests are seen as an important first step in breaking up the network that has been stealing from taxpayers.
