Housewife Gets 6 Months Jail in Shs725m Stanbic Bank Fraud, Turns State Witness

Elizabeth Mbabazi, a 31-year-old housewife and seller of scholastic materials, has been convicted and jailed for six months by Buganda Road Court chief magistrate Ritah Kidasa. The sentence, running concurrently with her prior five months and 13 days on remand, follows her plea bargain in the attempted theft of Shs725 million from Stanbic Bank.

Mbabazi admitted to charges of forgery, uttering false documents, impersonation, attempted theft, and conspiracy. Right after sentencing, she took the stand as a state witness against her co-accused: Faridah Kobusingye, Flower Njawuzi (also known as Florence, Mega or Kanywani), and Joel Mucunguzi.

In her testimony, led by Chief State Attorney Joan Keko, Mbabazi explained she knew only Njawuzi from her book business. Njawuzi promised her easy money from a ‘charitable account’ funded by pastors abroad, luring her with a share if successful—up to Shs10 million.

On October 3, 2025, Mbabazi met Mucunguzi and Kobusingye at a fuel station. They provided her with forged documents, including a National ID in the name of Enid Kukunda, the real account holder. She was instructed to take them to Stanbic Bank’s Acacia Mall branch.

At the bank, Mbabazi handed over the documents to a staff member but was quickly stopped by security. The group was detained, interrogated, and handed to police. The transaction failed, and she confirmed the ID was not hers.

The remaining three accused, who denied the charges, remain on remand until April 13 for further hearings.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)