Kampala, Uganda – A dramatic courtroom twist unfolded at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court as orthopedic officer Dr. Hassan Ssegujja, recently convicted of forgery, turned state witness and implicated Kampala District Land Board Chairperson David Balondemu in a high-level conspiracy to falsify medical documents to influence court proceedings.
Dr. Ssegujja, formerly attached to Mulago National Referral Hospital, pleaded guilty to charges of forgery and conspiracy to commit a felony in a plea bargain deal that spared him a three-year prison term. He was instead fined Shs4 million or, in default, face two years in prison.
The conviction stemmed from forged medical records created in November 2023, allegedly at the request of Balondemu, who was at the time detained at Wandegeya Police Station and facing charges of obtaining money by false pretences.
According to Ssegujja, Balondemu called him on November 8, 2023, requesting falsified documents to present in court to secure bail by claiming he was gravely ill and required urgent surgery.
The forged documents included a CT scan report showing a peritoneal mass and a letter suggesting Balondemu was scheduled for TURP surgery at Kampala Hospital on November 22.
Ssegujja admitted in court that he created the documents with the help of an unidentified accomplice and sent them via WhatsApp to Balondemu’s lawyer, Caleb Alaka, on November 19, just before Balondemu’s bail hearing. The documents were then used in court on November 20 in an attempt to justify his release.
However, State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya uncovered inconsistencies and verified that the documents did not originate from Kampala Hospital, as claimed. The stamp impressions were also found to be fake.
Following this discovery, both Ssegujja and Balondemu were charged with forgery and conspiracy. Ssegujja went into hiding after allegedly being advised by Balondemu to switch off his phones and lay low.
He further testified that Balondemu requested Shs1.7 million to “bribe his way out” of the situation—a sum Ssegujja sent via a mobile money agent in Wakaliga. Screenshots of their WhatsApp exchanges and the transaction were retrieved from Ssegujja’s seized phone.
After his arrest on March 1, 2025, Ssegujja chose to cooperate with the prosecution, testifying against his long-time friend. He admitted he had never worked at Kampala Hospital and fabricated the documents at Balondemu’s request. He also revealed a third party introduced by Balondemu helped draft and scan the forged documents.
The courtroom witnessed further drama when Balondemu dismissed his lawyer mid-hearing, prompting Chief State Attorney Muwaganya to accuse him of intentionally delaying proceedings. Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi warned that the trial would proceed with or without Balondemu’s legal counsel. The next hearing has been scheduled for August 6.
David Balondemu, who was recently nominated as an NRM parliamentary candidate for Luuka North Constituency, now faces charges of conspiracy to commit a felony. The trial continues.
