Kampala — The IGG, Ms Faith Mwondha, has cancelled government sponsorship for nine students in Kyambogo and Makerere universities for acquiring government scholarships through fraudulent means.

In the report on irregular admission of students on Nakaseke District Quota into public universities dated February 7, the IGG said nine students on Nakaseke District Quota for government sponsorship should relinquish a state scholarship.

The students affected are Mr Herbert Wanyina, Mr David Ssali, Mr Njogedde Bitijuma, Ms Samalie Nayiga, Ms Winfred Nanyonjo, Ms Janet Sekabira and Mr John Baptist Kalyango, who are students at Makerere University. The others are Ms Prossie Nakayiwa and Mr Asuman Sebunya of Kyambogo University. The students were admitted during the 2006/2007 academic year. "Effective next semester, the named students should finance their university education from private resources and not state scholarship," Ms Mwondha said. "The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports should initiate the move to have the state scholarships of the mentioned students cancelled."

The report indicated that nine out of the 11 students admitted on Nakaseke District Quota System for government sponsorship do not hail from the district and therefore didn't meet the stipulated requirements to benefit from the system. Daily Monitor has learnt that all the nine students were formerly students of Mulama Secondary School in Nakaseke District. Although the IGG discovered that the students uttered false information regarding their district of residence and origin, she urged the Joint Admission Board of both universities to retain the students because they meet minimum university admission requirements.

She blamed a teacher of Mulama SSS, Mr Ahmed Ndawula, who recommended the students. According to the IGG, Mr Ndawula forged Kasiribiti (Kapeeka Sub-County) LCI chairman's stamp to recommend all nine students as area residents. "He is a part-time teacher in a private secondary school," she said. "His teacher's registration number certificate should be cancelled and his name be struck off the teachers' roll for engaging in such high level fraud."

The IGG requested that concerned authorities should inform her of the actions taken on the mentioned people in the shortest time possible.