Lira city inspector of schools, businessman arrested over millions extorted in uneb registration scam

13 October 2026, 1:35 pm

By Sheila Auma and Frank Oyugi

LIRA CITY | UGANDA — A joint security operation between the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda National Examinations Board has unraveled a sophisticated extortion syndicate targeting school administrators across Lira City, leading to the arrest of the Lira City Inspector of Schools and a local businessman. The principal suspects, identified as Mr. Omara Tom Ronald, the Lira City Inspector of Schools, and Okot Ambrose, a 42-year-old businessman also known as Musinguzi William, are accused of conspiring to solicit millions of shillings from primary and secondary school headteachers under the guise of clearing alleged candidate registration irregularities.

According to a press statement issued by North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, the scheme was executed through a carefully coordinated strategy designed to intimidate school heads. The Inspector of Schools would first contact a targeted headteacher to issue an advance warning that the Head of Legal at the examinations body would soon call regarding severe registration anomalies involving private candidates.

Shortly afterward, Okot Ambrose, posing under the alias Musinguzi William, would place a follow-up call threatening harsh administrative sanctions, candidate disqualifications, and legal consequences unless the administrator cooperated directly with the Inspector of Schools. Coerced by the threat of disruption to the forthcoming national examinations, affected headteachers were pressured into surrendering substantial sums of money to resolve the non-existent sanctions. Preliminary findings indicate that several prominent institutions were targeted in the scheme, including Olaka Primary School, Bishop Tarantino secondary School, and Lango College, with investigations ongoing to identify additional affected schools.

The fraudulent activity first came to light through an intelligence report registered at Ntinda Police Station in Kampala. On October 11, 2026, a specialized investigative team from the national examinations board traveled to Lira City to coordinate with the territorial police at Lira City Central Police Station.

Following an intelligence-led operation backed by Communication Data Records analysis, technical tracking, and field investigations, detectives located and arrested both suspects. During police questioning, Okot Ambrose reportedly admitted his participation in the extortion plot and disclosed that the mobile SIM card registered under the name Musinguzi William had been provided to him directly by the City Inspector of Schools. Investigators have also designated Freedom City Bar in Junior Quarters, an establishment operated by Okot, as a key location of interest in the ongoing inquiries.

Both suspects have since been processed and escorted under police guard to Kampala for further interrogation and subsequent legal proceedings in coordination with Ntinda Police Station and the examination board’s legal team. Meanwhile, the Town Clerk of Lira City Administration has been formally notified of the municipal officer’s alleged involvement to ensure administrative awareness and facilitate appropriate institutional action.

The Uganda Police Force and the national examinations body have reiterated their commitment to safeguarding the integrity of national assessments and ensuring accountability for any criminal conduct that undermines the system. Police are encouraging headteachers and members of the public who may have been approached or defrauded under this scheme to report to the nearest police station or examination office to assist ongoing efforts to trace the proceeds of the crime and gather additional evidence.