AGAGO SCHOLARSHIP VERIFICATION DISQUALIFIES 10 PREVIOUS AWARDEES

URN

Agago District authorities have disqualified 10 out of 11 university students previously awarded the statehouse scholarships following a fresh verification exercise.

Only one student from the original list, Geoffrey Otim, who is going to pursue a Bachelor of Biosystems Engineering at Gulu University, retained his award after meeting the district’s eligibility criteria.

The re-evaluation took place on Thursday, August 13, 2026, during a public verification exercise at the Agago District Council Hall. District officials conducted the selection through a ruffle system to restore transparency and ensure financial aid reaches deserving students.

According to Wilson Otto, the Agago District Chairperson, approximately 62 applicants turned up for the exercise. “In the previous list, four people were not from our district, so we couldn’t accept them,” Otto explained.

“We felt the raffle system of selection was the best and fairest for everyone, which is why we chose it. The education department verified all applicants, including their admission letters, and then we grouped them according to the district’s priority areas.”

Otto noted that the District Executive Committee, acting on behalf of the council, directed the allocation across specific disciplines: four in medicine, three in engineering, two in agriculture, and two in education.

He emphasized that the previous list was disregarded entirely due to irregularities in how it was initially compiled. “During the re-selection, everyone was equal. We have already told officials that going forward, we shall handle our own selection and hand over the verified list to the responsible office,” Otto said.

To ensure regional equity across the district, candidates were categorized by course and grouped by Agago’s three constituencies: Agago West, Agago North, and Agago County. Shortlisted applicants drew lots publicly in front of district leaders, parents, and community members.

“It was not easy; it was a tug of war. They did it in an open place where even parents were present. If they shortlisted names of people in Agago North who are studying medicine, they put the names down and each candidate picked a lucky number to determine whether they succeeded or not. It was like that for every course and constituency,” Otim told Uganda Radio Network (URN) on Friday.

Otim noted that the tense atmosphere reflected the leaders’ firm decision to reject the earlier roster. “The atmosphere was very tense because they never talked about the list that came before. The leaders said they didn’t know about it,” Otim added. “I just feel so happy, and I thank God who saw my hopelessness.”

Pamela Akidi, a resident of Agago Town Council, expressed relief and gratitude over the transparent process, noting that open draws restored hope for families without political connections.

Akidi, whose child is sitting senior six this year, said when she heard about the scholarship for students in Acholi, she was hopeful that her daughter would apply next year, but her hopes were quickly dashed when she started hearing about complaints about the fraudulent selection.

“I had lost hope when I heard only one person selected the beneficiaries, and only connected people seemed to have benefited. Knowing that our leaders stood their ground and choose beneficiaries in front of everyone made me happy. I want to thank the district leaders for standing up for fairness and giving our children a equal chance on merit,” she said.

The public verification follows demands made last week by Agago District leaders for a complete review of beneficiaries under the Presidential Scholarship Programme. Local leaders had accused officials of sidelining key stakeholders during the initial beneficiary selection.

The scholarships stem from a November 2025 pledge by President Yoweri Museveni at the Arua State Lodge to the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG), committing 100 annual university scholarships to students across the Acholi sub-region.

Agago District has since circulated the full list of all 11 verified beneficiaries, detailing their respective academic programs and host institutions.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis