Retired CID officer testifies on recovery of curtain materials in Kiruuruta trial
During the hearing, Chief Magistrate Kidasa admitted the recovered curtain materials and the exhibit slips as evidence after finding that prosecution had established an unbroken chain of custody.
The witness told court that the complainant led investigators to several traders before police searched Kiruuluta’s shop, where they allegedly recovered 12 rolls of curtain material.
KAMPALA - A retired police investigator has told the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court that police recovered 12 rolls of curtain material from a shop belonging to Kalungu East MP Yusuf Kiruuluta Junior Nkeretanyi while investigating the alleged theft of curtain materials worth over Sh3b.
Retired Assistant Inspector of Police Joy Mary Nakku testified before Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa as the prosecution continued presenting its case against Kiruuluta and his co-accused, who face charges of theft and handling suspected stolen property.
Nakku, who retired from the police force in August 2022, told court that she was attached to the Special Investigations Division (SID) in Kireka when she was assigned the case on January 20, 2022.
She said the complainant, businessman Sulaiman Kasule Lwabuuka, reported that curtain materials, rods and accessories had been disappearing from his stores at Eagle Plaza in Kiyembe and at his residence in Bweya, Kajjansi.
The witness told court that the complainant led investigators to several traders before police searched Kiruuluta’s shop, where they allegedly recovered 12 rolls of curtain material.
She testified that both Lwabuuka and Kiruuluta claimed ownership of the recovered materials. Investigators then asked both men to sign the rolls to distinguish the disputed exhibits, which were later produced in court together with the exhibit slips.
Nakku further testified that investigators searched another shop operated by Ivan Zziwa before proceeding to business premises linked to Abdul-Noor, where five more rolls of curtain materials were allegedly recovered.
She said police subsequently arrested Kiruuluta, Mugumuya, Abdul-Noor, Zziwa and John Tamale before taking them to the SID headquarters in Kireka for further investigations.
During the hearing, Chief Magistrate Kidasa admitted the recovered curtain materials and the exhibit slips as evidence after finding that prosecution had established an unbroken chain of custody.
Nakku also told court that Kiruuluta maintained the curtain materials found in his shop had been ordered from suppliers in Nairobi and China through WhatsApp.
However, she said he did not produce receipts or any other documents to support his claim of ownership.
The retired police officer further testified that investigators established that Closed Circuit Television cameras installed at Lwabuuka’s residence were allegedly switched off whenever the thefts occurred.
She added that a child at the residence reportedly told investigators that Mugumuya and Zziwa would visit the home in Lwabuuka’s absence and load curtain materials into vehicles after the stores had been opened.
According to Nakku, Lwabuuka estimated the value of the allegedly stolen property at about sh3 billion, although she retired before the final audit report was completed.
Prosecution alleges that curtain materials worth billions of shillings were systematically stolen from Lwabuuka’s stores before being sold to traders in Kampala.
Kiruuluta, Nakachwa and their co-accused have since denied the charges. The hearing was adjourned to August 11, 2026, for further proceedings.