Lira City in Spotlight as LDC Disowns Senior Law Enforcement Officer’s Diploma Documents After 15 Years of Service

Documents seen by this publication include a purported Diploma in Law certificate and academic transcript bearing the name Omule Simba Tom, registration number DII/U/191/2004, allegedly issued by the Law Development Centre (LDC) in 2006.

The certificate indicates that Omule was awarded a Diploma in Law in Second Class Division after “having attended and successfully completed a course in law” at the institution. The accompanying academic transcript shows marks in several law subjects including Criminal Law, Public Law, Human Rights Law, Family Law, Law of Torts and Commercial Law.

However, in a letter dated May 21, 2026, addressed to the Office of the Town Clerk, Lira, the Academic Registrar of LDC, Stephanie Lukwanzi, stated that although Omule Simba Tom was enrolled at the institution during the 2004/2005 academic year, he did not successfully fulfill the academic requirements necessary to qualify for the award of a Diploma in Law.

The letter further states that the transcript and certificate attached for verification were “forgeries” and were never issued by the Law Development Centre.

“According to the academic records held by the institution, he attended the programme and undertook the prescribed course of study. However, the student did not successfully fulfil the academic requirements necessary to qualify for the award of a Diploma in Law,” the letter reads in part.

It further adds: “Furthermore, the attached copies of the transcript and certificate purportedly issued by the Office of the Academic Registrar, Law Development Centre, are forgeries and were not issued by the Law Development Centre.”

The verification letter was reportedly in response to correspondence from the Office of the Town Clerk dated March 5, 2026, seeking clarification on the authenticity of the academic documents.

The development has since triggered debate in Lira City and beyond, with sections of the public questioning how the documents were allegedly certified and used over the years.

When contacted by our reporter, Omule Simba Tom said he had not yet received the verification letter from LDC and could therefore not comprehensively comment on the matter.

“I have not yet received that letter from LDC,” Omule told this publication.

Efforts by this publication to obtain an official comment from Lira City Council did not yield results by press time, as the contacted officials reportedly declined to respond to the reporter’s inquiries regarding the matter.

The matter is expected to attract further scrutiny, especially regarding the verification and use of academic credentials in public service and law enforcement institutions.