The wall of fake degrees: Uganda’s silent crisis exposed

One quiet day in February, a new platform quietly appeared on the Ugandan internet—unannounced, almost like a whisper.

No press release, no media buzz—just a stark white homepage bearing a bold title: “The Wall of Fake PhDs.”

Beneath it sat a growing list of names, each accompanied by a supposed field of study, the awarding institution, and a damning verdict: “honorary misuse” or “verified fake.” Shared quietly through WhatsApp groups, Telegram forums, and academic circles, the site began to attract a kind of attention that few were willing to voice out loud.

In Uganda—a country where academic titles are deeply respected and a PhD often commands automatic reverence—the platform was a quiet bombshell. Lately, though, the title “Doctor” has become more of a performance than a proven achievement, with more Ugandans claiming it than ever before.

Degrees of Deception

Uganda’s obsession with academic titles is no secret. Being called “Doctor” is not just a mark of achievement—it often brings prestige, influence and opportunity. But what happens when the title is unearned?

According to The Wall of Fake PhDs, the misuse of honorary degrees and outright forgery is more widespread than most Ugandans imagine. The site, run by anonymous volunteers and whistleblowers, claims to serve as a watchdog, working in the public interest.

It openly states: “This platform exists to implement the spirit of NCHE directives and to protect the public from fraudulent claims of academic achievement.”

The platform doesn’t pretend to be a court of law. It includes a disclaimer stressing that not all cases are fully verified and invites individuals to contest listings by providing proof of their credentials.

Still, the reputational damage is immediate and, in many cases, irreversible. With just 16 listings so far, the wall has already shaken Uganda’s elite. The listings include a former minister, a prominent businessman, political figures, and social leaders.

Several of them received honorary degrees from Zoe Life Theological College USA, a now-controversial institution frequently cited on the site.

What Makes a Degree “Fake”?

Honorary degrees, by definition, are symbolic. They are not earned through years of coursework, research and peer-reviewed publication. According to global academic norms, honorary doctorates should not be used as formal academic titles—yet many Ugandans do exactly that.

“There’s a dangerous confusion between symbolic recognition and academic merit,” says Sarah Akena, a researcher at the Uganda National Examinations Board.

“When someone who hasn’t written a dissertation starts calling themselves ‘Doctor,’ it misleads the public and devalues real scholarship.” Uganda’s educational institutions lack a centralized mechanism to verify doctoral credentials. This gap is particularly exploited by individuals who claim to have studied abroad—usually in the United States or the Middle East—where verification is harder to conduct locally.

The result is a quiet epidemic of forged or misused titles that pervade high levels of public life. According to The Wall of Fake PhDs, some “degrees” are sold online for as little as $5,000. Others are granted by unlicensed American or Dubai-based theological colleges in exchange for publicity, influence or donations.

“Many of these so-called universities send bulk emails offering fake doctorates. They know these titles will be flaunted back home,” says Nicholas Opiyo, one of the platform’s coordinators.

He adds that the goal isn’t to shame individuals, but to “push institutions and the public to rethink how we measure merit.” Still, the site has proven polarizing. Critics question the lack of transparency around how listings are verified. Supporters argue that it’s doing the job that Uganda’s regulatory bodies have failed to do.

One listing that stirred online debate reads:

• Name: Edwin Musiime
• Degree: PhD, Lagos University of Florida (USA), 2025
• Status: Verified fake
• Sector: Leadership

The listing includes screenshots, university links, and contradictory information from public CVs.

The cost of credentialism

In Uganda, education is everything. It is the path to opportunity, the gateway to politics, and often the only socially accepted route to upward mobility. But the obsession with titles rather than tangible skill has created a dangerous ecosystem where paper trumps performance.

“People are buying degrees because the system rewards status—not substance,” says Sarah Akena, a researcher at the Uganda National Examinations Board. “You don’t need to publish research or engage in academic debate. You just need a title. And in Uganda, that title opens doors.”

That reality has pushed many to pursue “shortcut degrees” to boost their CVs and cement their status—often with little scrutiny from employers, government agencies, or even the media. Meanwhile, authentic degree holders—those who spend years in academic trenches—are forced to compete with fakes.

The fake PhD crisis is not just about inflated egos or vanity titles. It’s about the erosion of public trust. If we can’t trust someone’s credentials, how can we trust their decisions, their leadership, or their influence on policy and public life?

Uganda’s National Council for Higher Education has issued past warnings against the misuse of honorary degrees, but en- forcement remains weak. What’s needed now is a national conversation—not only about academic integrity but about redefining what we value in public leadership.

“It’s not about having a PhD,” Opiyo says. “It’s about what you’ve done for society. Let’s start celebrating competence, not just credentials.”

Police data paint a grim picture

In Uganda, where education is seen as a ladder to opportunity, more and more people are climbing it using shaky steps. The crisis of forged academic credentials is now erupting into public view—one fake degree at a time.

In 2024 alone, the Uganda Police Force recorded 69 cases of forged academic documents linked to the Police Probationary Constables (PPC) recruitment process. That same year, 21 head teachers in the central district of Nakaseke were dismissed for forging documents to secure promotions. But those are just the ones who got caught.

The real number? Likely much higher. The implications of this quiet crisis go far beyond dishonest individuals—they threaten the integrity of Uganda’s entire education system, its public service, and the dreams of countless young people working hard to earn their qualifications honestly.

When fake degrees cost real money

The rot runs deep. In 2022, a government probe revealed that nearly Shs 19 billion in taxpayers’ money had been lost to salaries paid to people fraudulently claiming to be teachers.

A deeper investigation found that 609 employees in secondary schools and tertiary institutions had used forged documents to enter the public payroll. Just last month, an accountant, Samuel Wampewo, was put on trial for allegedly forging academic documents to secure a position at Nakawa Vocational Institute under the ministry of Education and Sports.

In public offices, fake credentials don’t just mean deception—they mean potential mismanagement, poor decision-making, and unqualified people holding powerful positions. In academia, a forged PhD means a real scholar is left without a job. And for young scholars working tirelessly on their dissertations, it’s a cruel joke.

“It’s exhausting,” says Jane, a PhD candidate at Makerere University. “You pour five years into this journey—long nights, data collection, stress—and then watch someone get a top job with a certificate they probably got in a few hours online. We’ve even seen people on TV explaining how they earned their ‘PhD’ through four-hour daily Zoom sessions over four days. It’s insulting.”

Legal tools, but no teeth

Uganda’s laws do criminalize academic forgery. Under the Penal Code, presenting forged documents is a punishable offense. The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has the authority to revoke recognition of unaccredited degrees.

On paper, the framework is there. But in practice? Very few are prosecuted. Most institutions prefer quiet exits to loud scandals.

“The political cost is too high,” says one senior education official. “Many of those with fake degrees are well-connected. Calling them out publicly could invite lawsuits or political retaliation.”

That silence is part of the problem. Institutions quietly let offenders resign or reapply under the radar. Employers fail to do background checks. And society looks away, until something breaks.

A system built to ignore

Experts say the crisis is a symptom of broader failure. Hiring processes often lack thorough background checks. Accreditation standards are weak. There is no national database for verifying qualifications, and the social obsession with titles has created a culture where being called “Doctor” matters more than actual knowledge.

“If we had a reliable, public registry like in other countries, much of this wouldn’t happen,” says Dr Robert Kaggwa, an education policy analyst.

“But we’ve let people operate in the dark.” The pressure to get ahead doesn’t help. Many feel forced to pursue higher degrees—even when they aren’t necessary— to stand out in competitive job markets. “People chase titles, not skills,” Kaggwa adds.

“So, they cut corners.”

What happens next?

So far, the NCHE has only issued vague warnings, saying academic fraud remains a concern. Universities haven’t commented publicly. But something bigger may be shifting—social tolerance.

The Wall of Fake PhDs may never catch every fraud. It may even make mistakes. But it has started a conversation. It’s made people look twice when someone demands to be called “Doctor.”

It has made questioning acceptable—and in many cases, necessary. And for honest students—those burning the midnight oil, writing page after page of careful research—it offers a sense that someone, somewhere, is watching.

As one student put it in a campus WhatsApp group: “If we don’t clean our house, who will?”

FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• 69 cases of academic forgery linked to police recruitment (2024)

• 21 head teachers dismissed in Nakaseke for forged credentials

• UGX 19 billion lost in teacher salary fraud (2022)

• 609 employees found on payroll with fake academic documents

• Fake PhDs often obtained from unlicensed USA or Dubai-based theological colleges

• NCHE has enforcement power— but rarely uses it

ashleymwesigye@gmail.com

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