By Spy Uganda
A government anti-corruption operation in Busia District has uncovered a major discrepancy in primary school enrolment figures, raising questions over the accuracy of data used to allocate Universal Primary Education (UPE) funds.
The discrepancy was uncovered during an inspection led by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi on Wednesday as part of the government’s “Expose the Corrupt” campaign.
A physical headcount reportedly established that 72,736 pupils were actually enrolled in primary schools across the district, while 86,316 pupils had been submitted to the Ministry of Education and Sports.
The difference of 13,580 pupils has raised concerns over possible payments being made for pupils who may not exist.
The situation was even more pronounced in Busia Municipality, where officials had submitted 18,116 pupils, yet the headcount found only 13,048, creating a discrepancy of 5,068 pupils.
Under the UPE programme, government provides Shs20,000 per pupil per term. Based on the reported discrepancy, the figures could represent about Shs271.6 million per term for the district-wide difference, although the exact financial impact will depend on verification of the records and whether funds were actually disbursed against the disputed numbers.
In the municipality alone, the discrepancy represents about Shs101.36 million per term.
Balaam said the findings point to a serious accountability concern and called for those responsible for the figures to explain themselves.
“The government has lost huge sums of money through ghost pupils in primary schools. The district and municipal education officers should be held accountable,” he said.
The minister ordered the arrest of Busia District Education Officer Anthony Wanyama and officials from the municipal education department who were reportedly absent from the meeting.
He also directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the Accountant General’s office to investigate the discrepancies and establish how the figures were generated and whether public funds were lost.
The education findings formed part of a wider inspection in which the minister scrutinised several government facilities and projects.
At Busia Market, Balaam found that the facility had no functioning toilet and ordered the arrest of Town Clerk Leonard Katunda Mukulu, accusing him of negligence of duty.
He also raised concerns over the installation of solar street lights, saying government had paid for 254 lights, but only 138 had been installed.
The minister questioned the state of the market, which he said had cost Shs24.5 billion, but was operating without adequate electricity and running water.
At the district headquarters, he ordered the arrest of Deputy Town Clerk Johnson Wafuba and 11 other workers from procurement, medical and community services departments over alleged corruption.
The operation also extended to education institutions.
At Busia Secondary School, Balaam recovered receipts linked to alleged overcharging under the Universal Secondary Education programme and ordered the arrest of acting deputy head teacher Austin Bwire.
The move reportedly triggered tension, with students throwing stones as the operation unfolded.
At Sikuda Seed Secondary School, the minister raised concerns about the quality of construction work despite government reportedly spending Shs3.1 billion on the project.
At Sikuda Health Centre III, he questioned staffing arrangements after finding the facility headed by a nurse.
The findings, however, were challenged by some local leaders.
The Busia Mayor accused the minister of being drawn into local political disputes, while Samia Bugwe North MP John Paul Wandera questioned the sources of some of the reports presented during the operation.
“Minister, most of the reports you are reading to us were provided by former minister John Mulimba,” Wandera said.
Balaam rejected the suggestion that the findings were politically motivated, insisting that the allegations would be subjected to investigations.
State Minister for Transport Julius Wandera Maganda urged residents to continue exposing suspected corruption and supporting government efforts to improve service delivery.
The investigations will now be expected to establish whether the pupil discrepancies arose from administrative errors, outdated records or deliberate inflation of enrolment figures, and whether any public money was lost as a result.
