Businessman Jailed for Forging President Museveni's Signature to Secure Ferry Contract

Uganda’s judiciary has handed down a stern ruling against corporate fraud, sentencing a businessman to prison for orchestrating an elaborate scheme to manipulate state power for financial gain.

Male Nicholus found himself before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court where he pleaded guilty to seven counts of forgery and uttering false documents. According to investigations led by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the Criminal Investigations Directorate, Male falsely claimed deep ties within the Office of the Prime Minister.

Targeting Nation Oil Distributors Limited, Male pitched himself as a fixer capable of securing a profitable 15-year contract extension to manage the MV Kalangala ferry. The cornerstone of his fraudulent enterprise was a fabricated August 2025 letter featuring a forged presidential seal. Addressed to the minister of Works and Transport, the fake directive commanded an immediate contract renewal.

Male hand-delivered the fabricated documents across various government ministries and corporate offices alongside fake appointment letters designed to project state-backed authority. For his attempts to subvert public institutions, the court slapped him with an 18-month prison sentence on each count, with the terms running concurrently.

Read the full details of this case and other judicial rulings in the The Observer report.