The ministry of Education and Sports has lifted the interdiction of Masaka Secondary School headteacher, Zulaika Nabukeera.
This was after the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) found insufficient evidence to sustain allegations of misappropriation of funds, irregular recruitment, and abuse of school resources against her.
In an August 27, 2026 letter, the permanent secretary in the ministry of Education and Sports, Dr Kedrace R. Turyagyenda, formally rescinded Nabukeera’s interdiction with immediate effect and directed her to resume her duties as headteacher.
The decision followed an investigation by the IGG into allegations that Nabukeera had procured a digital notice board, constructed toilets and was in the process of purchasing a school bus without following the required procurement procedures.
She had also been accused of irregularly recruiting staff, failing to regularly attend duty and drawing fuel and allowances for personal travel. However, in a report dated July 8, 2026, deputy Inspector General of Government Dr Patricia Achan Okiria found that several of the allegations could not be sustained against Nabukeera.
The investigation instead established that some of the procurement irregularities concerning the school had occurred during the tenure of the former acting headteacher, Ahmed Mukiibi.
The IGG established that Mukiibi had constructed a water-borne toilet structure comprising eight toilets and eight bathrooms for Shs 60 million without approval from the school board of governors.
The construction was also undertaken without following the required procurement procedures. According to the IGG, there were no approved plans or designs, while Mukiibi selected local builders and the works were not supervised by qualified personnel.
Mukiibi reportedly explained that the procurement procedures had not been followed because the construction was considered an emergency. The IGG, however, rejected the explanation, noting that Mukiibi was the acting headteacher and had previously served as deputy headteacher at the school and therefore should have ensured proper planning and compliance with procurement requirements.
The investigation separately found that Nabukeera had procured a digital notice board as part of the school’s biometric system in April 2026 and had overseen the construction of two toilet structures.
Although these procurements had been approved by the school board of governors, they were undertaken without following the required procurement procedures. Nabukeera attributed the failures to weaknesses in the school’s procurement and disposal unit. The IGG noted that the matter was subsequently addressed during a boardroom session held at the school on May 22, 2026.
In a follow-up report dated June 29, 2026, the school reported that it had taken corrective measures to strengthen procurement, including recruiting a substantive procurement officer, reconstituting the contracts committee and advertising for the prequalification of service providers.
On the allegation that Nabukeera was irregularly purchasing a school bus, the IGG established that Shs 342.786 million had been allocated in the school’s 2026 budget for procurement of a school coaster. However, an analysis of school fees circulars for 2024, 2025 and 2026 showed that students had not been charged fees for the purchase of a school bus.
The investigation further established that, at the time of the inquiry, the school had not spent any money on the procurement of a bus or coaster. The IGG also cleared Nabukeera of the allegation that she had irregularly recruited staff.
The investigation found that the school’s board of governors had, during a meeting on November 13, 2025, authorised the local filling of staffing gaps. The school subsequently issued an internal advertisement for teaching positions in February 2026.
A total of 25 applicants were interviewed by the school recruitment committee on February 26, 2026, with 13 teachers selected and appointed. However, the investigation uncovered a separate case of alleged forgery involving one of the recruits, Arafat Ssemyalo Malende.
According to the IGG, Malende presented a forged academic transcript to obtain employment at Masaka SS. The IGG directed the school to immediately remove Malende from the school PTA payroll and forward his case to the board of governors for review and appropriate action.
The Inspectorate also directed that the alleged forgery of his academic documents be reported to the Masaka police for further investigation, with a view to possible prosecution for uttering false documents. The IGG required the school to report back on the action taken within 30 days of receiving the report. The investigation also examined allegations that Nabukeera had irregularly attended duty.
The IGG established that she had been appointed to the board of the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) in January 2026 and was transferred from Nabisunsa Girls School to Masaka Secondary School as headteacher on January 19, 2026.
In February 2026, Uneb requested her to participate in examinations security committee hearings for 11 weeks. The IGG found that, after completing the Uneb assignment, Nabukeera was regular at her duty station.
The Inspectorate also found no evidence to support allegations that she had irregularly drawn fuel and allowances from Masaka SS for personal travel. Based on the findings, the ministry has since expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to her during the period of interdiction. While clearing Nabukeera of the main allegations, the IGG raised concerns over procurement practices at the school and ordered corrective action.
The report also placed responsibility for the Shs 60 million toilet project undertaken without board approval and proper procurement procedures on former acting headteacher Mukiibi Ahmed, while identifying Malende as the teacher alleged to have secured employment using a forged academic transcript.
The July 8 IGG report was copied to the permanent secretary in the ministry of Education and Sports, chairperson of the Masaka SS board of governors, the Inspectorate of Government Compliance Unit and the district CID officer in Masaka.
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