A serving Special Forces Command (SFC) captain has been remanded to Luzira Prison after being charged with obtaining money by false pretence in connection with an alleged promise to fast-track the processing of a National Identity Card.
Yonasan Tibenderana, 35, appeared before the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was remanded until September 23, 2026, when the case will come up for mention and his application for bail may be heard.
Tibenderana, who is also described in the charge sheet as a businessman, is accused of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 285 of the Penal Code Act.
Prosecution alleges that on September 1, 2025, at the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) offices in Kololo, Kampala, Tibenderana received Sh200,000 from Juliet Apio after allegedly promising to arrange an express National Identity Card for her.
According to the prosecution, he made the representation despite allegedly knowing that he would not process the identity card as promised.
The charge was sanctioned by the Resident State Attorney at Nakawa under case number NKK-10-1681-26.
Tibenderana appeared before Grade One Magistrate Rhoda Acham Ochom, who read the charge to him. He denied the allegation.
However, the defence could not proceed with its planned bail application because there was no prosecutor in court to provide an update on the status of investigations.
His lawyer, Enoch Byaruhanga, told the court that the defence was ready to apply for bail but was unable to proceed in the absence of the prosecution. The magistrate subsequently remanded Tibenderana to Luzira Prison until September 23.
Tibenderana was arrested last week, after which his photograph was displayed on NIRA’s so-called “Wall of Shame”. The authority identified him as an alleged conman and warned members of the public against dealing with him.
His photograph appeared alongside that of David Lutasingwa, who has not been charged in connection with the matter.
The development has also renewed debate about access to services at NIRA, with some members of the public arguing that intermediaries and brokers have, in some cases, helped applicants obtain services more quickly than through official procedures.
The concerns come amid growing pressure on the authority over delays in the delivery of National Identity Card and other registration services.
Appearing before Parliament on Monday, NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo attributed some of the service delivery challenges to staffing gaps within the authority.
She said the problem had been worsened by the expiry of contracts for a large number of temporary workers who had been recruited to support the mass enrolment and renewal of National Identity Cards.
Kisembo told legislators that NIRA’s existing workforce was inadequate to handle the volume of responsibilities assigned to the authority.
NIRA has an approved staff establishment of 571 positions, but only 418 of them are currently occupied, leaving a significant staffing gap that the authority says has affected its ability to meet the growing demand for its services.
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