UGANDA: 1039 ghost nurses unearthed as lunch allowance starts

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Up to1039 ghost names have been found on the nurses’ payroll. The names were unearthed during payment of lunch allowances for nurses.

Uganda has a total of 70,167 nurses and midwives registered by the government’s Nurses and Midwifery Council.

According to a letter seen by URN, some 147 ghost health workers received the money under the docket of nurses working under the Uganda Police, 40  from Jinja district, 40 from Ntungamo district and other districts including Kanungu, Kamwenge, Adjumani, Bunyangabu and Kasese.

With the revised allowances, qualified nurses who had been getting sh3,000 for lunch will now be receiving 15,000 whereas nursing assistants who were being paid 2,000 have been upgraded to 10,000 Shillings. 70 Billion has been budgeted for the allowances annually.

Owing to these irregularities, Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwire, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service has given the accounting officers of the affected districts to tender in an explanation not later than the 15th of August.

“You are requested to explain in writing by 15th of August, 2021 the circumstances under which the attached employees were enrolled onto the lunch allowance. The total amount of the lunch allowance earned over the years should also be attached”, she said.

Musingwire also notes that more than one thousand ghost nurses had been receiving the money yet they are not health workers and don’t work in health facilities.

But Jinja District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) William Kanyesigye said while Jinja has been marked as one of the districts with high ghost beneficiaries, it was done in error and that they have scheduled a meeting for Monday to have this corrected.

He said, the alleged ghosts work in health facilities in the district although he adds he has discovered only one person who is a teacher.

In Ntungamo district, the CAO Nasser Mukiibi says the 20 identified ghosts are not health workers but they are support staff in the health department who work as typists and cleaners.

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URN