At least 89 police trainees have been arrested at Ikafe police training school after an audit of academic qualifications discovered that they had been recruited with forged documents. Ikafe police training school is found in Yumbe district.
Uganda police embarked on recruitment of 10,000 police officers to be deployed at sub-county police stations as per President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to stop concentrating all personnel in urban areas. As police embarked on implementing the sub-county policing model, it was found that the numbers were insufficient as many major police divisions mostly in Kampala metropolitan and other cities were left with almost a half of the total personnel they had.
Since the main Police Training School at Kabalye, Masindi district, could not accommodate all the 10,000 trainees, police leadership led by the Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba, decided to split the numbers into three.
The biggest number of recruits was taken to Kabalye PTS, while the second biggest number was sent to Olilim PTS in Katakwi district, and the rest were taken to Ikafe in Yumbe district. However, police started auditing of academic qualifications and have since discovered that 89 were recruited at Ikafe had forged papers.
Their case, according to a report by SP Collin Asea, is recorded under Case Number: YMB GEF 11/2025. The audit was spearheaded by ACP Suwed Asuman, the Acting Interim Head of HRM at the Police Headquarters in Kampala.
“An investigation into the irregularities has been initiated. The focus is on how all these people were recruited with forged academic papers. These officers submitted forged documents during the recruitment process at the Police Training College in Ikafe,” SP Asea indicates in the report.
Before heading to Ikafe, police headquarters first conducted thorough document verification of candidates for service in the Uganda Police Force from Tuesday and Saturday last week. “During this process, a total of 89 candidates were found to have submitted forged academic documents. Of these, six candidates fled the training center, while 83 were handed over to the Commandant of the Ikafe Police Training School,” police said in the report.
The Ikafe culprits have been subsequently transferred to Yumbe Police Station for further investigation on charges of document forgery. Although there is a possibility that there could be police officers who could have connived with the recruits, police said preliminary investigations reveal that the suspects deliberately altered their academic records.
“These altered their documents including grades and results as per UNEB records, with the intent of securing employment with the Uganda Police Force. The suspects knowingly submitted false documents during the recruitment process,” SP Asea said.
Police said all individuals involved will be released on police bond as investigations continue. This is not the first time police have discovered that recruits have used forged academic papers. In 2021, at least 200 recruits had forged academic documents.