UPDF Alerts Investors to Rising Impersonators Posing as Security Officers

The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) has issued a strong warning about fraudsters pretending to be security officers, targeting investors with bogus contracts.

Col Chris Magezi, Acting Director of Defence Public Information, highlighted that these criminals reach out to international firms, promising lucrative security or business opportunities. He noted 18 such cases reported mid-last year.

One key example involves Godfrey Ssekidde Lubuulwa, who posed as Maj Gen Sam Kiwanuka to deceive Black Wolf Global, an Israeli-Romanian company, into a $993 million sham deal for training UPDF and police personnel. Ssekidde has a history, including scamming a Kenyan firm of $310,000 in 2021; he was arrested, released on bail, fled, and recently remanded.

Other cases include police sergeant Dominic Idro, faking Defence Intelligence ties with accomplices Constable Zacharias Mitumba and civilian Don Magerwa to extort victims. Rogers Ssentongo masqueraded as a UPDF officer at Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital’s mortuary for three weeks.

Geoffrey Alele impersonated top figures like Gen Katumba Wamala, Lt Gen Jack Bakasumba, and Maj Gen David Mugisha, even threatening Brig Gen Abdul Rugumayo. Col Magezi stressed that cases involving UPDF resources or senior officers’ images go to the General Court Martial.

Victims span foreigners, local businesses, and individuals. Police data shows 8,455 false pretence cases last year—the seventh most common offence—with Shs164 billion lost and only Shs10 billion recovered.

Col Magezi called for due diligence and reporting to police or UPDF.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)