Kampala, Uganda – Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has ordered an investigation into the theft of billions of shillings from the Bank of Uganda, a source close to the matter told CNN.
“It is true, President Museveni instructed the Auditor General to investigate the matter,” the source said. “The Auditor General will establish the amount of money lost in the hacking and then police will follow up on where there is criminal liability.”
The hackers allegedly stole UGX 60 billion (approximately $16 million USD) from the bank’s systems, wiring the funds to foreign countries in Asia and Europe.
The Bank of Uganda has yet to comment on the heist, but sources say the investigation is in high gear, with top officials to be questioned by police and the Auditor General.
The central bank has faced scandals in recent years, including the theft of old currency notes by its officials. In a notable case, Charles Kasede Ochieng, former Head of Verification, was sentenced to three years in prison for abusing his position to steal old currency notes meant for destruction.
Sources say President Museveni was informed of “unscrupulous behavior within the procurement department of the central bank” which became clear to suppliers during the procurement process of the Bank of Uganda National Payments Switch (BNPS) in 2023.
The Bank of Uganda has been without a governor since Emmanuel Mutebile’s death in January 2022.
