he Ugandan government has intensified its efforts to tackle the longstanding issue of payroll fraud, ghost workers, and irregular recruitment within its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
During a Cabinet meeting at State House Entebbe in October, President Museveni and Cabinet members issued a directive to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) of the Uganda Police Force to immediately take action against permanent secretaries and government accounting officers found culpable of facilitating these financial discrepancies.
This move followed the findings of a special audit conducted by the Office of the Auditor General, which revealed widespread irregularities in the management of the government payroll.
A Deep-Rooted Problem: Ghost Workers and Payroll Irregularities
The audit, which was presented to the Cabinet by the Minister of Public Service, Muruli Mukasa, uncovered significant issues within the government’s payroll system. Among the most alarming findings were ghost workers— individuals who do not exist or have not reported for duty—continuing to receive salaries.
In addition to this, the audit highlighted cases of overpaid and underpaid civil servants, as well as improper recruitment practices that had not been properly vetted or authorized.
