IGG probes Education ministry’s Mulindwa over age falsification 

Ismael Mulindwa, the long-serving director of Basic and Secondary Education in the ministry of Education and Sports, continues to hold office after allegedly passing the retirement age of 60, writes Geoffrey Serugo.

The Inspectorate of Government is investigating Mulindwa for abuse of office after Abdallah Kimeze, a retired teacher, petitioned it on grounds that he falsified his age to evade the mandatory retirement age.

In a September 9, 2024 petition also copied to the Education minister, its permanent secretary as well as that of the ministry of Public Service, Kimeze claims Mulindwa is of advanced age but influenced his extension of service individually beyond the mandatory retirement age of 60 years without following proper legal procedures or justifications.

“He is involved in a pattern of decisions that are contrary to the Public Service Standing Orders regarding the mandatory age retirement policy for public servants. Specifically, Mulindwa was born in 1962, completed his A-level at Masaka SS in 1985, obtained a diploma in Education from Nkozi National Teachers’ College in 1987. He started working with the ministry of Education and Sports in 1987,” says Kimeze.

“When one looks at his documents on file, instead of giving his right date of birth, he says that he was born in 1969, meaning that by the time he joined public service in 1987 he was just 17 years of age! which is not possible,” reads part of Kimeze’s petition.

“The selective and arbitrary extension of service for himself as a public servant creates inequality, fosters favouritism, and is a violation of the principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability. It further undermines the public’s trust in the ministry of Education and Sports as well as the civil service as a whole.”

In an interview with The Observer, Mulindwa said the allegations are baseless and false. Reached out for a comment, Munira Ali, the inspectorate spokesperson, confirmed receipt of the petition and noted that they are still doing investigations.

“The IGG has not completed the investigations; so, I won’t preempt my discussion with the IGG,” he said.

To prove his point, Kimeze implores the ministry to crosscheck with the school records where Mulindwa studied, such as Masaka SS, Nkozi National Teachers’ College and Makerere University.

“I am particularly concerned that these actions set a dangerous precedent and compromise the integrity of the ministry’s human resource policies. Public servants who have served their time and are due for retirement should be treated fairly and equally under the law. There should be no exceptions made for individuals based on favouritism or personal connections,” he says.

For instance, Kimeze cites people such as Dr Charles Kahigiriza, the recently-retired former headteacher of Ndejje SS, who was a class below Mulindwa during their time at Masaka SS. He also cites retired Edward Sebukyu, the former commissioner Private Schools at the Education ministry, who was two classes below Mulindwa in high school.

“Mulindwa’s behaviour deprives eligible public servants of their right to career progression and sets a negative precedent, where established laws can be circumvented for personal gain. I fear that, if left unchecked, this conduct will continue to damage the ministry’s credibility and erode public trust in the enforcement of mandatory retirement regulations,” reasons Kimeze.

“I respectfully urge your [IGG] office to conduct an investigation into these claims and take steps to hold him accountable. This will ensure the integrity of public service and help maintain public trust in our institutions. This issue requires immediate investigation due to its implications for the integrity of public service administration. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your prompt and thorough investigation,” he says.

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