The Case of the Forged Letter
A 27-year-old businessman has been remanded to Luzira Prison on multiple charges of forgery and uttering false documents, including a letter purportedly authored by President Museveni. The case involves allegations that the accused forged a document that claimed the president had instructed the Minister of Works and Transport to renew the contract of Nations Oil Distributors Limited (NODL) for another 15 years.
Court Proceedings and Bail
Nicholus Male, a resident of Nazibwa Zone, Lubowa Ward in Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality, Wakiso District, appeared before Buganda Road Court in Kampala on Thursday (November 6) presided over by Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The state prosecution, led by Ms Viola Tusingwire, informed the court that investigations into the case are still ongoing. When asked if he had sureties, Male’s lawyer stated that he did, but the documents had not yet been uploaded on the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) as required before court proceedings. As a result, the court remanded Male until November 17, 2025, when his bail application will be heard.
“Since the documents have not yet been uploaded, the accused is remanded until November 17 for hearing of his bail application,” Magistrate Kayizzi ruled.
Legal Charges
Male faces four counts under the Penal Code Act, including one of forgery and three of uttering false documents. According to the charge sheet, which was seen by this reporter, on August 15, 2025, in Kampala City, Male allegedly forged a letter addressed to the Minister of Works and Transport, purportedly authored by the President of the Republic of Uganda. The prosecution contends that the accused made the false document “with intent to defraud or deceive” the recipient.
In the second count, the prosecution alleges that on September 18, 2025, at the Ministry of Works and Transport on Old Port Bell Road, Male “knowingly and fraudulently uttered a false document, the same letter allegedly bearing the President’s name and signature.”
The third count states that on the same day, September 18, 2025, Male knowingly and fraudulently uttered the same forged letter at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs along Parliament Avenue. The final count accuses Male of uttering the forged document at the offices of Nation Oil Distributors Limited in Ndeba, Kampala, on September 18, 2025.
He was charged under sections 319, 324, and 328 of the Penal Code Act, which provide for the offences of forgery and uttering false documents.
Details of the Forged Letters
The details of Male’s letters are yet to be made public. However, a source at State House said one of the forged letters claimed that Mr Museveni, 81, had instructed the Minister of Works and Transport to renew the contract of Nations Oil Distributors Limited (NODL) to continue managing MV Kalangala for another 15 years, a false assertion.
NODL, a Ugandan company that primarily operates maritime services on Lake Victoria, manages ferries like the MV Kalangala and the new MV Rafiki.
The Source of the Allegations
The source in the State House Anti-Corruption Unit further said Male had earlier presented himself to the Director of NODL, claiming that he worked with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and knew several senior government officials, and that he could assist in securing the renewal of the MV Kalangala management contract.
The charge sheet describes Male as a businessman but does not specify what kind of business he deals in.
Potential Consequences
If convicted, Male will spend up to a maximum of three years in prison for forgery and at most seven years for the offence of uttering false documents.