Police in Kiira region have confirmed the arrest of Ericka Kanayaka Muwaya, the country coordinator of Anaya African Child Gifts Foundation, on charges of fraud and obtaining money through false pretenses.
Kanayaka was arrested on Tuesday from a hideout in Luuka district, alongside his assistant director, Mukhutal Mayanja.
The two are accused of fleecing an unspecified sum of money from parents who sought bursaries for their children.
The arrest follows complaints filed by Shanita Nakasango, a field officer and secretary of the organization, who accused Kanayaka of failing to fulfill his obligations to his parents.
Nakasango, who is also a signatory to the organization’s bank account, claimed that she registered children from 105 parents fetching Shillings 28 million in March 2024, which was handed over to Kanayaka but was never reflected in the organization’s bank account.
Kanayaka is also accused of borrowing an additional 20 million Shillings from parents, claiming the money was needed to facilitate the processing of 25 billion shillings in donations from the United States.
According to police, Kanayaka is suspected of collecting between 150,000-250,000 shillings from each of the 5,000 children registered under the Anaya Foundation across 28 districts.
The foundation, based in Nangode sub-county, Namutumba district, has 250 employees, who were reportedly required to pay 420,000 shillings each to secure employment with the organization.
Anaya Foundation, according to its social media, was established to support vulnerable children with school fees from nursery to university and to assist small enterprises.
However, victims allege that the promised financial assistance, motorcycles, and educational bursaries never materialized.
One victim, Regina Namukasa, who paid 450,000 shillings to enroll her three children, said Kanayaka downplayed the freezing of his accounts by the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) and continued to solicit funds from parents.
Another victim, Aminah Kasonke, claimed that Kanayaka presented himself as an NRM mobilizer sanctioned by President Yoweri Museveni to assist the needy, gaining the trust of the public.
The deputy resident city commissioner of Northern Division, Hamis Kiganira, has called for a thorough investigation of Kanayaka’s alleged fraud, urging the public to consult with district security organizations before embracing charitable causes that seem “too good to be true.”
Kanayaka and Mayanja are currently detained at Budondo police station, awaiting further prosecution.
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