By Robert Segawa
Police in Kawempe, Kampala, have successfully recovered 218 bags of coffee, valued at 470 million shillings, which had been stolen in transit and hidden in a rented store in Sanga Matugga, Wakiso District. The operation, which culminated on January 16, 2025, followed an investigation launched on November 29, 2024, after a report of stolen goods in transit was filed at Kawempe Police Station.
The investigation revealed that a truck carrying 21,600 kilograms of coffee beans, worth Shs 470,000,000, was diverted from its original route, intended for export from Kasese to Nakawa. The truck, registered under the number UBE 355V, was redirected from Kawempe-Bwaise, and the coffee was offloaded into other vehicles and transported to Luzira. The stolen coffee was later rejected and collected by one Juma Musisi, alias Young Mandela or Masape, who then moved the goods in vehicles with registration numbers UBD 151S and UAM 076N.
Police arrested five individuals on charges of stealing goods in transit, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend others involved, including Asiimwe Allan, Kato Kiggundu, Joab Mucunguzi, and Saidi Kasule, also known as Bogere. Juma Musisi, who had been apprehended and appeared in court, managed to escape custody before he could be granted bail, and he remains at large.
The breakthrough came when authorities tracked the stolen coffee to a garage in Sanga Matugga, where it had been stored by Bukenya Steven. His wife, Nankinga Mariam, was interviewed and confirmed that the suspects had rented the garage in December 2024, paying 200,000 shillings in rent for a month. The coffee was found and recovered in the presence of Nankinga.
The recovered goods, belonging to Agrievorve Uganda Limited, a company owned by Jonathan Rouland, were transported to Kawempe Police Station for safekeeping and awaiting further legal action. Police are continuing to investigate and follow leads to capture all involved parties.
