SFC Captain Tibenderana remanded over Shs 200,000 National ID bribe

What the report says

A serving Special Forces Command captain, Yonasan Tibenderana, has been remanded to Luzira Prison after appearing before Nakawa grade one magistrate Rhoda Acham Ochom over allegations tied to a Shs 200,000 payment linked to a promised express National Identity Card. He denied the charge in court. According to the prosecution account cited by The Observer, the alleged incident occurred on September 1, 2025, at National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) offices in Kololo, Kampala, where Tibenderana is said to have taken money from Juliet Apio while knowing he could not deliver the service as claimed.

The magistrate ordered that he remain on remand until September 23, 2026, when the case is due for mention and a bail application may be considered. His lawyer, Enoch Byaruhanga, indicated the defence was prepared to seek bail, but that step did not proceed because no prosecutor was in court to update the magistrate on the status of investigations.

The case has drawn wider attention because Tibenderana’s photo was later placed on NIRA’s “Wall of Shame,” alongside another individual, David Lutasingwa, who has not been charged. The publication noted that the episode has also fed public debate about delays in national ID services and the role of intermediaries at NIRA. In general, identity card processing in Uganda has faced periodic criticism over staffing and turnaround times, which NIRA officials have linked in part to workforce gaps.