The trial of 12 people, including eight security personnel accused of failing to prevent a break-in and theft at the Bank of Uganda, has commenced before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court in Kampala.
The case is being heard by Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa, with the prosecution alleging that the incident occurred on May 4, 2026, at the central bank’s premises on Plot 45 in Kampala Central Division.
Eight of the accused face charges of neglecting to prevent a felony, contrary to Section 362 of the Penal Code Act, while the remaining four are charged with office breaking and theft.
Those charged with neglecting to prevent a felony include Sergeant Joseph Amone and Police Constables Wilson Ouma, Thomas Omach, Shafic Mungusho and Brian Oryono. The five police officers are attached to the Directorate of Counter Terrorism Tactical Unit and reside at Naguru Police Barracks in Nakawa Division.
The other security personnel are Alex Onduri and Solomon Orache, security guards employed by Ultimate Security Limited, and Morish Ocen, a guard attached to Saracen Uganda Limited.
They are jointly charged with Boaz Michael Kule, a casual worker; Ramathan Kabuya alias Rama, a bus conductor; Isaac Rubangakene alias Izoo, a mobile phone accessories dealer; and Jorem Jude Oedo, a bus computer technician.
According to the prosecution, led by State Attorney Joan Keko, the eight security personnel were part of the team tasked with securing the Bank of Uganda premises.
The State alleges that they knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that a break-in was taking place but failed to take reasonable steps to stop it or protect the bank’s property.
The prosecution further alleges that the other four accused persons unlawfully entered offices 3A-02, 3A-03, 3A-04, 3A-05 and 3A-06 with the intention of stealing property.
Six laptops belonging to the Bank of Uganda were allegedly stolen during the incident. The computers, identified as Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7IML and HP EliteBook models, are valued at about Shs35.4 million, according to the prosecution.
Witness Describes Break-In Scene
Assistant Inspector of Police George Wamala, the first prosecution witness, told court that he was deployed at the Bank of Uganda in December 2024 as part of the security team responsible for protecting the institution and preventing terrorism-related threats.
Wamala, 45, said he has served in the Uganda Police Force for 23 years.
He explained that the tactical security team operates a daytime shift from 7am to 6pm, after which another team takes over the night shift.
On May 4, Wamala said he reported for duty at about 7am. At approximately 7:30am, he received information from a colleague, Henry Ziramba, that there had been a break-in at Plot 45, Level Three.
He immediately proceeded to the scene, where he found the area cordoned off. He said he met the Bank of Uganda Director of Security, Innocent Muhwezi, and Simon Musoke.
After being granted access to the affected area, Wamala said he observed brownish muddy footprints on the floor, which appeared to have been left by someone who had entered the premises.
He also saw scattered items, including laptop bags, gloves and a laptop along the corridor.
Wamala said Muhwezi later directed him to report the matter to Kampala Central Police Station, where he registered a case of office breaking and theft.
He was subsequently issued with a Scene of Crime documentation form and returned to the Bank together with Silvia Namuwonge, the Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigations Department at Kampala Central Police Station, and other investigators.
However, during cross-examination by defence lawyer Michael Busingye, Wamala acknowledged that he did not know whether any property had been stolen when he first arrived at the scene.
He also admitted that he did not know whether the accused had access to fingerprints, whether the security personnel guarded the inside of the building, whether the windows had been properly closed, or who had entered the affected area before the break-in was discovered.
Wamala further told court that he could not establish the exact time when the offices were broken into.
Bank Employee Testifies
The second prosecution witness, Tracy Mulungi Ampurirwe, a 26-year-old Banking Two Officer at the Bank of Uganda, told court that she had worked at the institution since December 2024.
Mulungi said her responsibilities include licensing banks, vetting shareholders, board members and senior management, and processing various regulatory approvals.
She said her office is located on Level Three of Plot 45, where she works alongside Nancy Busingye and Aidah Nakakande.
Mulungi testified that the Bank had issued her with a grey Lenovo ThinkBook laptop and a charger for official duties.
She told court that on May 4, she arrived at Plot 45 at about 6:45am and initially went to the ground floor to leave her keys.
She said her previous visit to the office had been on April 30, when she left the premises at about 5pm.
According to Mulungi, she had been working from Room A03, which belongs to her manager, Kwesiga Ainebyona, and is located opposite her main office, Room A02.
She said she had locked the office with a key before leaving on April 30 and left her laptop, documents and a desktop computer on the desk.
Upon returning on May 4, Mulungi said she noticed muddy footprints inside the premises, leading her to believe that someone had accessed the area while she was away.
The six laptops allegedly stolen in the incident were presented to court as exhibits through Mulungi.
The prosecution has not yet disclosed the total value of all property allegedly stolen during the break-in.
State Attorney Keko asked the court to issue summons requiring additional witnesses to attend the next hearing.
Chief Magistrate Kidasa granted the request and adjourned the case to September 1, 2026, for further hearing.
Four of the accused, who have been on remand since May, were returned to Luzira Prison, while the others remain on bail.
The case is among a series of controversies that have recently placed the Bank of Uganda under scrutiny.
In September 2024, about US$17 million, estimated at the time at roughly Shs60 billion, was reportedly lost from the central bank and later traced to accounts in the United Kingdom and Japan.
Several officials from the Bank of Uganda, the Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General’s Office were subsequently arrested and charged over alleged fraudulent payments to a purported contractor and alleged instructions that resulted in the release of the funds.
The suspects were later committed to the High Court Anti-Corruption Division for trial following the completion of investigations. Their trial has not yet commenced.
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