Illegal Payments to Ghost Workers Prompt Payroll Cleanup

By Ritah Atukwatse and Leonard Kamugisha Akida,

KAMPALA

The Ministry of Public Service has confirmed that several government entities have been illegally spending public funds on ghost workers, prompting a nationwide human resource audit to clean up the payroll.

Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre, State Minister for Public Service Mary Grace Mugasa disclosed that the ministry was compelled to act after repeated complaints from entities claiming their wage allocations were insufficient.

“Every September, government bodies send their human resource plans and budgets for the coming year. But despite this, we would still go to Parliament seeking supplementary funding,” Mugasa said. “This raised questions; was it poor planning or was the money being misused?”

Upon consulting the Ministry of Finance, it was agreed that a comprehensive human resource audit be conducted. The audit uncovered multiple cases where individuals who had gone for abroad jobs to seek for greener pastures (Cheeyo), retired, died, or simply stopped working were still receiving salaries. Shockingly, the minister noted that some accounting officers had included their own relatives on the government payroll.

“These revelations were not only embarrassing but also alarming. We found that people who were no longer actively serving were still drawing salaries, and in some cases, there was outright fraud,” Mugasa noted.

Following the audit, those illegally on the payroll were struck off. However, genuine cases that were mistakenly removed were reinstated after verification. Mugasa confirmed that legal action is underway against those who fraudulently received public funds.

“All the cases are now before court. The accounting officers who masterminded this loss will be held accountable and will pay. We have involved the police and the judiciary to ensure justice is served,” she said.

The Minister assured the public of continued transparency and promised that an official statement will be released once court proceedings are concluded.

“We are committed to ensuring public funds are used appropriately, and those who abused the system will face  the law,” she emphasized.

The minister was addressing journalists on the upcoming commemoration of the African Public Service Day. Marked on June 23, in Adis Ababa Ethiopia, the day celebrates the role of public institutions and civil servants in driving inclusive development across the continent. Uganda will celebrate this day under the continental theme: “Enhancing the agility and resilience of public institutions to achieve equitable governance and rapidly address historical service delivery gaps.” National celebrations will be held at Kololo Independence Grounds on July 7.