CID top officers, bankers discuss fraud mitigation

The Uganda Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and Uganda Bankers Association (UBA) top officials have discussed ways of reducing cases of fraud crimes in the country.

On August 6, 2025, CID director Assistant Inspector General of Police Tom Magambo held a meeting with the UBA team at the directorate’s headquarters in Kibuli, Kampala, over the fight.

“Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration in financial crime prevention, economic crimes, investigations and information sharing,” a brief CID statement on X, formerly Twitter, said.

UBA is an umbrella organisation for financial institutions licensed and supervised by the Bank of Uganda.

The officials who attended the meeting were Wilbrod Owor (UBA executive director), Richard Yego (MTN MoMo Uganda managing director), Ronald Mugisha (cyber/fraud risk officer), Kibiito Katamagi (Ligomarc Advocates managing partner) and Ronald Bakakimpa (Uganda Communications Commission’s head of cyber security).

Statistics show that fraud continues to pose a significant threat to the stability and integrity of Uganda’s banking and financial services sector.

A total of 110 cases of bank and other corporate fraud crimes were reported to the Police in 2024, constituting 0.8% of the economic crimes registered in the country.

These frauds manifest themselves in various forms, ranging from money laundering, other corporate frauds, and terrorism financing, according to the Police’s 2024 annual crime report that was released on February 19, 2025.

A total of 13,132 cases of economic and corruption crimes were reported to the Police in 2024, compared to 12,924 cases in 2023, giving a 1.6% increase in this crime category.

Obtaining money by false pretence registered the highest number of cases in this crime category in 2023 (10,449 cases), followed by forgeries and uttering documents with 894 cases and counterfeiting with 209 cases.

By the end of 2024, out of the total cases of economic and corruption crimes reported to the Police, 3,494 cases were taken to court, 3,494 were not proceeded with, while 6,856 were still under inquiry by the time of releasing the report.

Out of the total cases taken to court, 1,016 cases secured convictions, 64 cases were acquitted, 416 cases were dismissed, while 1,998 cases were still pending in court.

Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) South Region registered the highest number of cases of economic crimes in 2023 (2,069 cases), followed by KMP North with 1,914, KMP East with 1,097, Rwizi with 796, Greater Masaka with 579, Busoga East with 470 and North Kyoga with 462.

Recorded crime across Uganda decreased by 4.1% last year, with cases dropping from 228,074 in 2023 to 218,715.