A Kampala man who forged President Yoweri Museveni’s signature on a fake letter extending a multi-million government transport contract has been convicted and sentenced to one year and six months in prison.
Nicholas Male was sentenced by Senior Principal Magistrate Winnie Nankya at the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to seven counts of forgery and uttering false documents under a formal plea-bargain agreement.
Magistrate Nankya sentenced Male to serve 18 months on each of the seven counts, ordering that the sentences run concurrently and deducting the period he had already spent on remand.
Fake Presidential Signature and MV Kalangala Contract Extension
The prosecution case presented by Senior State Attorney Viola Tusingwire, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), detailed how Male orchestrated an elaborate fraud scheme targeting government transport operations in August 2025.
According to court records, Dr. Sadala Musoke, the Managing Director of National Oil Distributors Limited, was seeking a contract extension to continue managing passenger and cargo transport services aboard the government vessel MV Kalangala.
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Male approached Dr. Musoke, introducing himself as a government employee and a close relative of Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. Dr. Musoke drafted a formal petition addressed to President Museveni seeking the contract extension and handed it to Male for delivery.
Instead of delivering the letter, Male forged a response bearing a fake presidential signature that purported to grant National Oil Distributors Limited a 15-year contract extension.
Dr. Musoke grew suspicious and sought verification through an associate, confirming the presidential letter was entirely fraudulent. He immediately reported the matter to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU).
Anti-Corruption Search Uncovers Fake OPM Letters
A subsequent police search conducted at Male’s residence uncovered a hoard of forged documents, including letters fabricated under the banner of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and fake government job appointment letters issued in the names of various individuals.
The discovery led to an amended charge sheet comprising:
4 Counts of Forgery: Fabricating presidential directives and OPM correspondence.
3 Counts of Uttering False Documents: Presenting fraudulent letters to the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and National Oil Distributors Limited.
Plea Bargain and Court Sentence
During court proceedings on Tuesday, Male—who represented himself without a lawyer—admitted all the facts presented by the prosecution and pleaded guilty to all seven counts.
State Attorney Viola Tusingwire urged the court to deliver a deterrent sentence, emphasizing that forging the President’s signature and targeting high-level state institutions severely undermines the authority and credibility of government offices.
In mitigation, the court considered that Male was a first-time offender, expressed remorse, saved court time through his guilty plea, and pledged to seek lawful employment upon release.
“I have learnt my lessons and would never engage in such offences,” Male told the court during his allocutus.
Adopting the joint plea-bargain agreement, Magistrate Nankya convicted Male on all counts and handed down the 18-month concurrent custodial sentence.
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