crime 20 October 2026 The Observer (Uganda)

Iganga Businessman Arrested for Faking Shs 5 Million Robbery

Police in Iganga have arrested businessman Mawazi Waiswa for allegedly staging an aggravated robbery and falsely claiming Shs 4.7 million was stolen. The fabricated report was intended to pressure another party into paying a commission. Source: https://observer.ug/news/iganga-businessman-arrested-over-faking-shs-5m-robbery

A businessman in Iganga, Mawazi Waiswa, is in police custody after allegedly fabricating a robbery incident. Waiswa reported on October 18, 2026, that he had been robbed of Shs 4.7 million by four armed men disguised as traffic police officers along the Iganga–Tirinyi road.

He claimed the assailants, traveling in a Toyota RAV4, intercepted his truck and threatened him. However, investigators grew suspicious of his narrative. A review of CCTV footage and telecommunications data contradicted Waiswa’s account, indicating his truck had not left Iganga town and placing him in a different location.

During re-interrogation on October 19, Waiswa reportedly confessed to fabricating the robbery. Police allege he admitted to staging the event to coerce the truck’s owner into paying him Shs 1.4 million in an outstanding commission related to a vehicle sale.

Busoga East Police spokesperson Michael Kasadha stated that providing false information to the police is a violation of Section 115 of the Penal Code Act. Kasadha emphasized that such false reports waste valuable police resources that could be used for genuine cases. Two other individuals allegedly involved in creating the false report have also been apprehended.

Kasadha urged the public to report crimes truthfully, warning that fabricated complaints unnecessarily burden investigators and divert attention from real security concerns. Waiswa is detained at Iganga Central Police Station awaiting prosecution.