Kampala: Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has convicted businessman Nicholus Male for forging President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s signature on government documents in a scheme to secure a 15-year extension of a ferry management contract.
Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court convicted Male after he pleaded guilty to seven counts of forgery and uttering false documents to influence the renewal of a contract for managing MV Kalangala.
The court sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment on each count, with the sentences running concurrently, meaning he will serve the terms at the same time.
The case arose from a letter dated August 15, 2025, which Male allegedly presented on September 18, 2025, to the Ministry of Works and Transport, purporting to have been signed by the President.
The forged correspondence claimed that Mr Museveni had directed the Minister of Works and Transport to renew Nation Oil Distributors Limited’s contract to manage MV Kalangala for another 15 years.
According to the prosecution, Male delivered the letter to the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the offices of Nation Oil Distributors Limited in Ndeba.
Investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the Criminal Investigations Directorate, followed by prosecution by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, established that the documents were forged.
Investigators further established that Male had earlier presented himself to the director of Nation Oil Distributors Limited as someone working with the Office of the Prime Minister.
He reportedly claimed to have connections to senior government officials who could facilitate the renewal of the ferry management contract.
The court condemned the conduct, describing it as a serious disregard for authority and an abuse of the person and office of the President.
It warned that forging presidential correspondence could damage the President’s reputation and encourage similar fraudulent schemes, including those designed to obtain money from unsuspecting members of the public.
The court also considered evidence 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 letters, the court noted, risked undermining public confidence in government institutions and tarnishing their reputation.
The conviction follows investigations involving the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the Criminal Investigations Directorate, with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions handling the case.
The case highlights the risks posed by individuals who falsely invoke connections to senior government officials or use forged official documents to influence public-sector decisions and private business arrangements.
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