Kayonza Subcounty, Kanungu —
Embattled retired AIGP John Ngaruye Ndungutse has plunged himself deeper into national disgrace after shamelessly denying involvement in the fake health insurance card scandal that has rocked Kinkizi West — despite overwhelming evidence that the fraudulent cards were his biggest campaign tool during the recent NRM primaries.
Speaking to a handful of loyalists in Kalangara, Kayonza Subcounty, on Wednesday, Ndungutse attempted to wash his hands clean, feigning total ignorance of the scandal that has left hundreds of residents stranded and humiliated at hospitals across Kanungu and Kampala.
In his typical deceptive style, he dismissed the whole saga as “propaganda” from opponents — pretending he “knew nothing about any fake cards.”
But the people of Kinkizi West are no longer buying his lies. “How can he deny what we saw with our own eyes?” fumed Jane Nyanjura, one of the victims. “He personally gave us the cards, promising free treatment for our families. Now that hospitals have rejected us, he claims he doesn’t know? That’s wickedness!”
During the NRM primaries, Ndungutse distributed hundreds of counterfeit ‘health insurance cards’ — cheaply printed at Nasser Road — claiming they were part of his grand plan to provide free healthcare to the people of Kinkizi West. The cards, stamped with his name, photo, and campaign slogan, became the center of his deceitful charm offensive to win votes, especially from the poor, the elderly, and single mothers desperate for medical help.
When the scam backfired and victims began speaking out, the former police boss did what he does best — deny, deflect, and deceive.
According to local analysts, his denial is not just dishonest — it’s an insult to the intelligence and suffering of the people he duped. “It’s one thing to lie during campaigns,” said one opinion leader. “But to deny the same lie after being caught is the height of arrogance. It proves Ndungutse has no shame, no remorse, and no integrity. He’s simply unfit for leadership.”
Ironically, this denial comes just weeks after multiple victims from Kihihi Town Council narrated how hospitals turned them away, calling their cards “worthless papers.” Many of these cards bore Ndungutse’s image and his signature slogan — clear evidence linking him directly to the fraud.
But even after such exposure, Ndungutse seems to have learned nothing. Instead, he has shifted to a new deception — promising free education through what he now calls the Ndungutse Education Fund.
That means those still hobnobbing with him are yet to get their surprise. Once again, he’s dangling another carrot before desperate families, claiming he’ll sponsor their children’s education. The same man who failed to deliver on his fake health insurance cards is now reinventing himself as an “education philanthropist.” We are only waiting — he will soon deny this too when it collapses like his so-called health insurance scheme.
This is not the first time Ndungutse has made wild promises and later pretended he never made them. He once promised to supply Hass avocados to farmers, boasting of creating a regional agro-export hub. When the project failed miserably, he shamelessly claimed “those with nursery beds were no longer supplying.”
A man who cannot even stand by his own words has no business pretending to lead others.
As one youth leader from Nyamwegabira angrily put it: “If a retired AIGP, a man who once wore the police uniform, can forge insurance cards, lie to the poor, and later deny it — what else is he capable of? Such people are a danger to society, not leaders.”
Ndungutse’s fall from grace has been swift, spectacular, and self-inflicted. Once parading himself as a “state-sponsored candidate” with the President’s supposed blessing, he now stands mocked, isolated, and despised — a living symbol of arrogance, greed, and deceit gone wrong.
As residents continue to demand justice and accountability, one truth rings louder than ever: Ndungutse’s denial has not saved his reputation — it has buried it deeper.
