Commissioner of Police Eldard Mugume was recently remanded to Luzira Prison on charges of abuse of office, allegedly stemming from the recruitment of six women as Special Police Constables (SPCs).
However, documents accessed by Our Reporter suggest this may be part of a broader internal conflict within the Uganda Police Force rather than a straightforward criminal case.
The Background
The six women in question—Lizzie Namulinda, Aisha Namukasa, Lilly Birungi, Jasper Ekyoheirwe, Pearl Kainembabazi, and Eva Amumpaire—were reportedly recruited over 15 years ago, around 2011, when the police force was transitioning from a manual payroll system to an electronic one.
At the time, the Police Force was seeking university students with ICT and Human Resource knowledge to assist in managing the new payroll system. According to police records, these students were engaged as Special Police Constables and placed on a monthly salary of UGX 195,000. Per standard policy, SPCs are typically individuals who have completed at least S4.
Records show the students were officially attached to the Human Resource Department and given formal appointment letters, though their recruitment occurred in phases. An August 25, 2011 letter to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Personnel Management), signed by then-AIGP Richard Bisherurwa on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, confirmed their appointments. Interestingly, the letter listed ten individuals, including Ruth Naisa, Carla Anyiny, Mark Muhame, Bwiza Bibian, and Elizabeth Aero—none of whom are under investigation.
PAC Approval
Two years later, on February 13, 2013, the Police Advisory Committee (PAC)—one of the highest policy organs in the Force—sat and approved a recommendation to regrade the SPCs who had since graduated from university. The meeting was chaired by then-Deputy IGP Martins Okoth Ochola (who would later become IGP). Commissioner Mugume was among the 16 members in attendance.
The committee noted that the SPCs, now university graduates, should no longer remain in the same rank as S4 leavers. The minutes clearly state:
“PAC noted the need for the officers to undergo the basic police training as they are going to be given police ranks. PAC adopted the presentation and referred the matter to the relevant committee to make the necessary appointment of the six graduate SPCs to inspectorates.”
A follow-up meeting on February 27, 2013, chaired by Commissioner of Police Patrick Isabirye and Secretary Lillian Waidha (also now facing charges), reaffirmed this decision. Notably, Mugume was not present at this second meeting.
The committee cited both the urgent need for personnel in the Human Resource section and the commendable performance of the six individuals as reasons for their regrading to Inspector rank. It also recommended that they undergo police training to understand Standing Orders and other relevant regulations.
Rise Through the Ranks
Following their regrading and completion of university education, the six individuals remained in the Police Force and have since risen through the ranks, with some reaching the level of Assistant Superintendent of Police. Some have even transitioned into roles within other government departments such as the Ministry of ICT and Mulago National Referral Hospital. In these cases, they remain deployed by the Police but are now paid by their respective agencies, following successful recruitment through the Public Service Commission.
Letters from Dr. S.P. Kagoda, then Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Police Authority (dated October 8, 2014), and from Vincent Bagire Waiswa, then ICT Permanent Secretary (dated January 13, 2020), confirm some of these inter-agency appointments.
Internal Power Struggles?
Anonymous sources familiar with the matter suggest that Mugume may have become a target due to internal power struggles. They allege he resisted pressure from certain senior officers—dubbed “mafias” within the force—who sought to manipulate HR records to extend their service beyond the legal retirement age.
“Mugume was a civilian in uniform, and that made him hard to control,” one source said. “He refused to tamper with retirement dates for some senior officers who wanted to stay in service illegally.”
It’s alleged that some officers, after reaching the mandatory retirement age, conspired with HR staff to alter their birthdates to remain on payroll and continue drawing salaries from public funds.
Other insiders argue that Mugume is being scapegoated, noting that “no single officer has the power to recruit independently.” They point to the comprehensive documentation, multiple levels of committee approval, and years of institutional precedent supporting the regrading of SPCs.
A Common Practice
The regrading of SPCs is not unique to this case and continues to be practiced.
The regrading of Special Police Constables (SPCs) has been part of the Uganda Police Force’s human resource practices for years and continues to be applied to address staffing requirements. The process, previously recognised as an administrative and operational tool, is now the subject of criminal proceedings in this case
The Legal Case
Despite this context, Mugume faces charges of abuse of office. Prosecutors allege that he irregularly recruited the six women in 2013 and directly appointed them as Inspectors of Police. He is expected to appear before the Anti-Corruption Court on September 2, 2025, as investigations continue.
