In a damning verdict that has sent shockwaves through political and labour export circles, former National Unity Platform (NUP) mayoral aspirant for Makindye division, Ali Zikusooka, has been convicted and sentenced to 18 months in Luzira Prison for forgery and uttering false documents.
Crimes he committed in a calculated move to defraud and oust his own uncle from a family-owned recruitment company.
Zikusooka, once known as a rising political figure and self-styled “Sheikh wa Bobi” in reference to his association with Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), was found guilty by Mengo Chief Magistrates Court of forging the signature of his uncle, Swaib Idris Mutazindwa, to unlawfully remove him as a Director and bank signatory of Al Qurashee Recruitment Agency Ltd, a company the two had co-founded.
The sentencet, handed down on May 21, 2025, follows damning submissions by the prosecution which established beyond reasonable doubt that Zikusooka intentionally forged documents, submitted them to the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and Bank of Africa, and proceeded to misuse company funds without accountability.
Betrayal
Court records revealed a shocking betrayal of family trust. Mutazindwa, who had mentored and introduced Zikusooka to the labour export industry and helped him secure a position as Secretary of the Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA), became the prime victim of Zikusooka’s greed-fueled scheme.
Instead of working collaboratively, Zikusooka fabricated a board resolution, forged his uncle’s signature, and submitted it to formal institutions to gain exclusive control of the company and its bank accounts.
This move allowed him to operate the company as a personal piggy bank, diverting funds with zero oversight.
In a cruel twist, Zikusooka then filed false police cases against his uncle — including a widely publicized but now discredited case of human trafficking, and another alleging that his uncle was falsely claiming to be a company director.
Both accusations were proven to be fabrications. The DPP closed the human trafficking file due to lack of evidence and recommended investigation into Zikusooka himself for witness interference and malicious prosecution.
Forgery
Throughout the trial, Zikusooka attempted to hide behind his former credentials as a student at the Law Development Centre (LDC) and his public image as a religious leader.
But his defense quickly crumbled under the weight of forensic evidence and testimonies.
A forensic handwriting expert from Uganda Police confirmed that the signature attributed to the uncle on the forged resolution was not authentic.
Zikusooka’s claim that the documents were couriered by boda-boda to the uncle and returned signed was dismissed as fiction — he failed to name or produce the courier.
The court also noted that Zikusooka’s claim that his uncle was in hiding was false. In fact, the complainant was under active police bond and consistently reported to police stations throughout the investigation.
His explanations were exposed as a web of lies — from misrepresenting audit reports to concocting stories about social media prompting ministry action. The prosecution described him as someone who “lies as easily as he breathes.”
Political Aspirations
While campaigning for Mayor of Makindye under NUP, Zikusooka was widely seen as a populist religious figure.
But the court ruling raises serious questions about how his political bid was financed.
Investigators and co-shareholders in Al Qurashee believe he used embezzled company funds to bankroll his campaign.
Zikusooka made no effort to account for large sums withdrawn from the company, ignored letters from fellow shareholders, and resisted calls to convene meetings or provide financial records.
He even excluded mention of a USD 25,000 start-up loan—which had been raised by his uncle’s associate—as if the money never existed.
Final Blow
Chief Magistrate’s Court found Zikusooka guilty on all counts and sentenced him to 18 months in Luzira Prison. In his ruling, the magistrate condemned the accused’s lack of remorse, his malicious abuse of legal processes, and the betrayal of close family members for personal enrichment.
“The accused showed no regard for the law, for justice, or for the company he helped manage. He abused the trust of his uncle, his fellow shareholders, and the public he sought to lead,” the magistrate stated.
Vindication
The conviction provides long-overdue vindication for Swaib Idris Mutazindwa , whose reputation was dragged through the mud for years due to the false and malicious claims spread by his nephew.
Zikusooka had even gone as far as paying for newspaper notices to publicize the bogus human trafficking allegations — a move now widely seen as both defamatory and calculated.
Mutazindwa, who has never been convicted or even tried on any of the claims made by Zikusooka, walked out of court with his head held high, his innocence upheld by both law and fact.
