At least 12 people including four police officers have been arrested for masterminding the robbery of shs2.4 billion from the home of Barbara Nekesa Oundo, the treasurer for the ruling NRM party.
The Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed top party bosses at Secretariat to investigate its treasurer, Barbra Nekesa Oundo after a whopping Shs3 billion was stolen from her home in Muyenga.
On 5th December last year (2023), three police officers including Nekesa’s bodyguard, Michael Wango- attached to Police Counter Terrorism unit (CT), raided her home in Muyenga and took off with six bags containing Shs3 billion, in dollar bills.
They also stole six phones- including her (Nekesa) iPhone 12 Promax 256GB- which was recovered in Kasanga Kitalanga Zone days later.
The three police officers; the bodyguard Wango, Sergeant Dominic Idro attached to the VIP Protection Unit and Constable Sharif Mugoya attached to Counter Terrorism Aviation Police (AVIPO) in Entebbe alongside a number of civilians have since been arrested and arraigned in court.
The arrested civilians include; Edgar Watson Aronda from Fort portal, Joshua Kalinda- a boda boda rider, Emmanuel Basooma- a businessman in Namutumba, Rodger Nuwagaba- a driver, Samuel Opio- a casual labourer in Bukasa Muyenga, Matiya Rulangwa- a businessman in Gayaza, Patrick Apunyo- an engineer based in Kireka.
Others are; Joseph Ssempuga and a one Moses Nyiiro, a special hire driver in Makindye.
The group was arraigned before Makindye Grade One magistrate Charles Opio- and charged with six counts.
The charges include; aggravated robbery, contrary to section 285 and 286 (2) of the Panel Code Act.
Other cases were receiving and retaining stolen property, contrary to Section 314 (1) and being an accessory after the fact, contrary to section 393 (1) and 394 of the same act.
How the heist was executed
According to our sources, Ambassador Nekesa’s bodyguard Wango and one of her five maids (only identified as Bayati) connived with Police officers Idro and Mugoya to execute the heist.
Before D-Day (5th December), Wango sneaked Idro and Mugoya into Nekesa’s home for acclimatization. Since he (Wango) was in charge of home security, he would first disable CCTV cameras.
On the day of the robbery, Nekesa- we have learnt- was home.
However, her husband Hajji Suleiman Mafabi Lumolo was away.
As a disguise, the two police officers (Idra and Mugoya) locked Wango, Bayati (maid) and the other maids together before ordering Nekesa to unlock her bedroom where the money was stashed.
They also confiscated two guns that belonged to Wango and his fellow bodyguard, Ronald Mutima who was off duty.
Originally, she refused. It was not until they undressed and threatened to rape her that she gave in and opened the bedroom door.
The two officers (Idra and Mugoya) took off with bags containing Shs3 billion and the phones, including Nekesa’s. She, with her maids and bodyguard (Wango) were left locked up.
Upon regaining their freedom moments later (5am), Nekesa headed to Kabalagala Police and reported a case, Vide CRB 1794/2023.
Originally, she reported only Shs400 million as stolen but a day later, she made an additional statement and recorded Shs800 million to have been stolen from her home.
Again, she lied. Well, according to Wango.
Wango who was arrested as the mastermind behind the heist insisted it was Shs3 billion.
Meanwhile, as the thieving cops took off from the scene in panic, they unknowingly dropped one bag of cash somewhere in Bukasa.
It would then be picked by the casual labourer Opio who was heading back home after a night of merry making in a nearby bar.
Upon realizing the bag was full of money, Opio headed back to the bar and started splashing the dollars with reckless abandon. Police was tipped off and he was summarily arrested.
One of the stolen phones was tracked and later recovered in Namutumba. More arrests would then be made.
Wango’s incriminating statement
In his statement at CMI headquarters, Wango claims Nekesa would occasionally invite him to her bedroom and that’s how he found out she had a lot of cash hidden there.
He claimed Nekesa would often thank her with ‘loose change’ of between 200 to 500 dollars everytime she would invite him to her bedroom.
He, however, did not reveal what she would be thanking him for.
He had been working for Nekesa for 10 months.
Further, he (Wango) claimed that the Shs3 billion they allegedly stole was nothing compared to what was left behind.
He further claimed they left behind countless bags of money.
According to our sources, Police investigators have so far recovered Shs1.3 billion in cash, and some properties that were allegedly bought using the stolen money.
Of the Shs1.3 billion recovered, a suitcase containing shs800 million was recovered from Wango’s dad in eastern Uganda.
Barbara Nekesa Oundo
The money was delivered by Idro and Mugoya to their partner in crime Wango’s dad for storage.
Idro on the other hand had bought a house worth Shs300 million, and a Shs180 million farm.
Mugoya, on the other hand, had bought a plot of land worth Shs60 million in Entebbe. He had also paid for building material worth Shs70 million.
NRM Investigates
Meanwhile, we have learnt that NRM Secretariat with the blessing of President Museveni have been planning on investigating treasurer Nekesa over the alleged misappropriation of party funds.
According to our sources at Kyadondo Road, there have been allegations of misuse of funds since early last year.
We are told the party has been losing funds to a tune of Shs1.3 billion every quarter.
And because of such, there have always been delays in party project implementation and payment of salaries.
For example, salaries for November and December have not been paid up to now. All party activities since mid last year have all been halted due to financial constraints.
And yet, money is always released to the Secretariat coffers.
It is also said, party honchos have been wondering where Ambassador Nekesa has been getting money to construct some of the most exotic apartments in Kampala, especially in Ntinda and Kiwatule areas.
We contacted Nekesa for a comment but all her known phones were switched off as she was in Dubai on holiday.
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