Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1129 EAT on Friday 7 July 2026

The founder of the Teso Talent Foundation has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to stealing donor funds meant to support the education of vulnerable children in the Teso sub-region.

Boniface Eyagu was convicted by the Ngora Magistrate’s Court after admitting to misappropriating funds donated by United Kingdom-based sponsors to pay school fees for disadvantaged pupils.

The court heard that instead of using the money for its intended purpose, Eyagu diverted the funds for personal use, depriving vulnerable children of educational support financed by the donors.

According to the prosecution, the case came to light after the donors noticed inconsistencies in the accountability reports submitted by Eyagu each time they remitted funds to support the learners.

The discrepancies prompted the donors to contact the administration of Vienna Nursery and Primary School, where they discovered that the full amount intended to pay school fees for the sponsored pupils had not been received.

The court heard that the donors had entrusted Eyagu, through the Teso Talent Foundation, with Shs3.5 million to clear tuition fees for 10 pupils at the school. However, prosecutors said he remitted only Shs400,000 to the school and diverted the remaining Shs3.1 million for personal use.

During investigations, Eyagu admitted receiving the funds and confessed to spending the balance on personal expenses. Appearing before Ngora Grade One Magistrate Isaac Boniface Abilu, he pleaded guilty and asked the court for leniency, saying he was willing to refund the stolen money within one month.

“I am guilty for having failed to use that money as intended, and I request the court to forgive me and allow me to pay the money back to the complainant. I am a breadwinner taking care of my wife, our young baby and my parents,” Eyagu told the court.

The prosecution urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, arguing that the theft of donor funds erodes the confidence of development partners and could discourage future support for vulnerable communities.

“The beneficiaries were pupils who hoped for a better future through education,” the prosecutor submitted.

In his ruling, Grade One Magistrate Isaac Boniface Abilu noted that although the offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, Eyagu’s guilty plea and cooperation with investigators warranted a more lenient punishment.

The magistrate observed that Eyagu had been entrusted with safeguarding the interests of vulnerable children but instead abused that trust for personal gain.

“You risked their future in your own hands, yet the law requires us to uplift and protect the welfare of children,” Abilu said.

He added that the sentence was intended to serve as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to misuse funds meant for vulnerable beneficiaries.

“For that reason, I sentence you to one year in prison and order you to refund the Shs3.1 million to the UK donors within two months,” the magistrate ruled.

Eyagu, who had spent one day on remand, will serve the remaining 11 months and 29 days of his sentence. He is also facing separate investigations in Soroti and Kapelebyong districts over alleged fraud involving the same UK-based donors.

-Observer

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