Charity Founder Jailed for Embezzling Funds Meant for Vulnerable Pupils

The founder of the Teso Talent Foundation, Boniface Eyagu, will spend the next year in jail after admitting to embezzling funds intended for disadvantaged pupils. The Ngora Magistrate’s court convicted Eyagu after he pleaded guilty to charges of misappropriating Shs 3.1 million.

Donors from the United Kingdom, who had provided the funds to Eyagu’s organization to cover school fees for ten pupils, became suspicious after noticing discrepancies in accountability reports. Their concerns led them to contact the Vienna Nursery and Primary School directly, where they discovered that the full amount had not been remitted.

Court documents revealed that the donors had entrusted Eyagu with Shs 3.5 million. However, Eyagu only paid Shs 400,000 to the school, diverting the remaining Shs 3.1 million for his personal use. During the investigation, Eyagu confessed to spending the money for his own benefit and requested leniency from the court, citing his responsibilities as a breadwinner.

The prosecution argued that such theft erodes the confidence of development partners and deters future support for vulnerable communities, especially when the beneficiaries are children whose futures depend on education.

Magistrate Isaac Boniface Abilu acknowledged Eyagu’s guilty plea and cooperation but emphasized the breach of trust. He noted that Eyagu’s actions jeopardized the future of the children he was meant to support. The sentence, while less than the maximum penalty, aims to deter others from misusing charitable funds. Eyagu was ordered to refund the embezzled Shs 3.1 million to the donors within two months. Having already served one day on remand, he will serve the remaining 11 months and 29 days. Eyagu is also under investigation for similar alleged fraud involving the same donors in Soroti and Kapelebyong districts.

Source: https://observer.ug/news/charity-founder-jailed-for-stealing-shs-3-1m-meant-for-vulnerable-pupils-in-teso