Speaker Oboth Tells MPs To Declare Personal Interest As Minister Ogwang Says 80 Students Affected By Forged Slips

 October 15, 2026   |    127 views

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth Oboth has directed that remarks made by Bubulo East County MP John Musila over a fees dispute at Lubega Institute of Nursing and Health Professionals in Iganga be removed from the official record of Parliament.

The directive came on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, during a plenary sitting where State Minister for Education and Sports (Sports) and Ngariam County MP ,Hon Peter Ogwang responded to a complaint raised by Musila about students allegedly sent away from the institute.

According to the minister’s statement, the institute discovered discrepancies in June 2026 between fees payment slips presented by students and money actually credited to its Stanbic Bank account. The bank, Ogwang said, confirmed that some of the slips were forged.

A review of all slips presented between January 2025 and June 2026 identified 80 affected students. Management alleges the students had entrusted their fees to an intermediary who issued them forged slips reflecting higher amounts than what was deposited.

Minister Ogwang told Parliament that the institute reported the matter to police on 9 September 2026, and held joint meetings with students, parents and police on 11 September and 1 October to agree on how the outstanding balances would be settled.

“The Institute maintains that none of the 80 students was suspended or expelled,” Ogwang said, adding that parents who could not pay at once were allowed to pay in instalments while their children continued studying.

By the time of the report, 15 of the 80 students had already completed their courses. Of the remaining 65 continuing students, nine had cleared their balances and resumed studies, while 56 were still making payment arrangements.

Hon.Ogwang pledged to follow up with the institute to ensure the arrangements are applied fairly and that affected students are allowed to resume their studies as police investigations continue.

MP Musila Disputes Account

Musila, however, challenged the minister’s account, calling for a deeper investigation into what he described as possible involvement of the school, the bank and a banking agent. He also disputed that no student was chased, alleging that some students and parents were ordered to leave the institute premises at around 8pm.

The matter took a new turn when Bugabula County North MP John Teira raised a point of order, accusing Musila of having a personal interest in the case. Teira told the House that Musila is a parent at the institute, had paid the disputed fees balance himself, and had returned his student the previous week without engaging management.

Musila confirmed he has been a parent at Lubega Institute for more than ten years, but said this did not disqualify him from speaking on behalf of other affected families.

“The children paid, the bank accepted, the school cleared them, all clearances are here,” Musila said, as he sought to table what he described as genuine payment records.

In his final guidance, Speaker Oboth reminded MPs of the requirement to declare personal interest.

“If you have interest, the law does not say you should not have interest, but declare it,” Oboth said.

He then directed that Musila’s statements, which he described as inflammatory, be expunged from the Parliamentary record, before moving the House to the next item on the order paper.