Kiryandongo VHT member, teacher arrested over conning refugees

________________ 

Police in Kiryandongo district are holding a Village Health Team (VHT) member and a teacher over allegations that they conned over 300 people, including refugees.

VHT member Barbra Ssera from Cluster G in Kiryandongo refugee settlement and Mary Apoloti, a teacher at Kiryandongo Islamic School, are detained at Kiryandongo Central Police Station and Kiryandongo Police Station, respectively.

They are accused of conning people after claiming to be staff of a non-governmental organisation, Give Directly, which gives cash assistance to refugees.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Ssera was allegedly using her agents, like Apoloti to extort between shillings 100,000 and 200,000 from many residents of Kitwara, Kitongoozi, Mirima, Gasper and others, claiming it's for registration of the NGO.

Deputy Resident District Commissioner Jonathan Akweteireho, on September 2, 2025, confirmed the arrest, saying that the hunt for other people who have been conning unsuspecting residents is still ongoing.

"I want to thank Kiryandongo Police for acting with swiftness. This is going to save many who have fallen victim," he said.

Give Directly directors have since disassociated themselves from the conmen and urged the authorities to punish them without favour.

Upon her arrest, hundreds of people have shown up at Kiryandongo Police Station to record statements.