By Frank Kamuntu
Police has arrested a 30-year-old man for illegally earning a full year’s salary by impersonating a teacher in Bududa District.
According to the authorities, the suspect used a forged appointment letter from the Education Service Commission to access the payroll.
According to reports, the individual was allegedly entered into the system through the help of his uncle who is a former Principal Human Resource Officer (PHRO) in the district.
The two are believed to have forged an appointment letter indicating that the suspect had been posted to work as a teacher at Bulucheke Secondary School.
Elgon Regional Police Spokesperson, Rogers Taitika, told the media that the duo, working in conjunction with others who are still at large, committed the crime at the start of 2022.
“He has been in the school from March up to May 2023 when this crime has been discovered,” Mr Taitika explained.
The charge sheet accuses the teacher of obtaining money by false pretence, forgery, creating a false document and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Their crime, which goes against sections of the Penal Code Act, 1950, led to a financial loss of about UShs 62 million (KSh 2.3 million).
Bulucheke Secondary School head teacher Edward Mukhwana revealed that they recruited the teacher locally and put him on the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) payroll.
We didn’t know that he was also receiving money from the government,” he told the media.
As of the time of filing this report, the fake teacher and his uncle had both been arrested on allegations of forgery.
