By Racheal N. Namuli
Entebbe Police, together with Nkumba Central Cell Chairperson Peter Mponye, have rescued more than 200 youths who were allegedly lured into fake job schemes and left stranded in Katabi Town Council.
According to Chairman Mponye, unknown individuals have been ferrying youths into the area for over a year, placing them in small rented rooms and abandoning them without proper documentation such as IDs or LC letters. The victims hail from various districts including Mbale, Fort Portal, Mubende, Ntungamo, Namutumba, Jinja, Soroti, Iganga, among others.
The situation came to light when a sergeant from the Air Force in Kiboga began tracing his son, who had claimed to have secured a job in Nkumba. After noticing inconsistencies in his son’s communication—especially frequent requests for money—the sergeant grew suspicious. He tracked his son’s location and discovered him crowded in a small room with about 20 other young men and women.
The sergeant immediately alerted Entebbe Police, who collaborated with the Special Forces Command and Chairman Mponye. Their joint operation uncovered more than 200 stranded youths in similar conditions.
Area Councilor Simon Muwonge revealed that scammers were charging each youth 140,000 shillings, promising job placements. After payment, the victims were instructed to call their parents and request 1 million shillings, claiming it was needed for job processing. Once the money was sent, the youth would receive a small commission, leaving residents shocked at the level of exploitation.
One of the victims from Namutumba narrated how he was recruited. He said a friend promised him a job and later met him at Mabirizi Complex in Kampala, where the supposed offices operated under the name “Empowered Consumerism.” He was told he would be selling herbal drugs for diabetes and other conditions online. When asked how he planned to get customers, he bizarrely claimed that his mother back in Namutumba would find clients for him—leaving security officials puzzled.
The Officer-in-Charge of Baita Ababiri Police Station, Atusingwize, together with Chairman Mponye, has since ordered all the stranded youths to pack their belongings and vacate the area by tomorrow. Meanwhile, five individuals suspected of working with the scammers have been arrested and taken to Entebbe Police Station for further investigations.
