Kole, Uganda: Kole District health inspector, Martin Egwang, has been remanded to Lira Government Prison after court denied him bail over allegations that he forged academic documents to secure government employment.
Egwang appeared before the Kole Magistrate’s Court presided over by Grade One Magistrate Susan Adero, on Thursday, March 12, 2026, where he was charged with forgery, uttering false documents, and obtaining employment by false pretence, which he all denied.
According to the prosecution, led by Jacky Sarah Mawemuka, Egwang allegedly presented forged academic credentials while applying for a government job in 2017.
Mawemuka told court that the accused allegedly submitted a fake transcript for a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration and Management purportedly issued by Uganda Martyrs University when applying for the position of Assistant District Health Officer (Maternal and Child Health) in Kole District.
“The accused knowingly and fraudulently uttered a false transcript purportedly issued by Uganda Martyrs University,” the prosecutor told court.
Court also heard that Egwang allegedly used a Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) certificate bearing the name of another person identified as Egwang Martin, an estates engineer at Busitema University.
The prosecution said the accused falsely represented himself as the rightful owner of the certificate with the intention of gaining employment in public service.
Authorities further allege that Egwang used the forged documents to secure employment as a health inspector in Kole District, earning government salary and benefits over time.
The accused’s lawyer, Emmanuel Omiat Egaro of Egaro and Company Advocates, asked the court to grant bail, arguing that his client met the legal requirements.
“My client is a resident within the jurisdiction of this court and is ready to comply with any bail conditions that the court may impose,” Egaro submitted.
Two sureties were presented before court—Denis Obong, introduced as the accused’s sister, and Hana Grace Auma, his wife.
However, the prosecution objected to the sureties, arguing that the documents presented did not sufficiently verify their employment status.
“The documents presented, including National Identity Cards and LC1 letters, do not sufficiently prove that the proposed sureties are government employees as claimed,” Mawemuka argued.
In her ruling, Magistrate Adero declined the bail application, citing insufficient verification of the sureties’ employment status. “Although the sureties have appeared before court, their employment status has not been sufficiently verified. In the circumstances, the application for bail is declined,” Adero ruled.
The court subsequently ordered that Egwang be remanded to Lira Government Prison until March 26, 2026, when he will return to court for further mention of the case as investigations continue.
The case has drawn attention in Kole District, with authorities emphasizing the need for strict verification of academic credentials during recruitment into public service.
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