A businessman has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to forging President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s signature on government documents in a scheme linked to the renewal of a vessel management contract.
Male Nicholus was convicted by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on seven counts of forgery and uttering false documents. He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The conviction followed investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) and the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), with prosecution led by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
According to the case details, the matter arose on September 18, 2025, when Male allegedly presented a forged letter dated August 15, 2025, addressed to the Minister of Works and Transport and purportedly signed by President Museveni.
The letter falsely claimed that the President had directed the minister to renew Nation Oil Distributors Limited’s contract to manage MV Kalangala for a further 15 years.
Male allegedly delivered the forged document to the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the offices of Nation Oil Distributors Limited in Ndeeba.
Investigations further established that Male had earlier presented himself to the director of Nation Oil Distributors Limited as an employee of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), claiming to have connections to senior government officials who could facilitate the renewal of the vessel’s management contract.
In its assessment of the case, the court described Male’s conduct as a serious disregard for authority and an abuse of the person and office of the President.
The court warned that offences of this nature could damage the President’s reputation and encourage similar fraudulent schemes, including the exploitation of unsuspecting members of the public for financial gain.
The court also noted that Male had forged appointment letters in the names of several individuals, falsely presenting them as documents issued by the Office of the Prime Minister.
The fraudulent documents, the court observed, risked undermining public confidence in government institutions and tarnishing their image.
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