A team of police officers from Kawempe Police Station successfully recovered 218 bags of suspected stolen coffee in Sanga Matugga, Wakiso District, on January 15, 2025. This recovery follows an ongoing investigation that began in late November 2024 after a case of stolen goods in transit was reported at Kawempe Police Station.
The stolen coffee beans, valued at approximately Shs 470,000,000, were originally being transported from Kasese to an Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Nakawa for export. However, the truck carrying 21,600 kg of coffee, registered under UBE 355V, was diverted from its route along Kawempe-Bwaise, where the coffee was offloaded onto other trucks and transported to Luzira.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, confirmed that the coffee was later retrieved by Juma Musisi, also known as Young Mandela or Masape, in motor vehicles with registration numbers UBD 151S and UAM 076N. In connection with the theft, five individuals have been arrested and charged with stealing goods in transit.
Efforts to apprehend other suspects, including Asiimwe Allan, Kato Kiggundu, Joab Mucunguzi, and Saidi Kasule, alias Bogere, are ongoing. Musisi, who was arrested and taken to court in Nabweru, managed to escape from custody before his release on bail and is currently on the run.
The police operation that led to the recovery of the coffee involved a search at the home of Bukenya Steven in Sanga Matugga. The coffee was found stored in his garage, where his wife, Nankinga Mariam, was present. According to Mariam, the suspects had rented the garage in December 2024 for Shs 200,000 a month, where they stored the coffee.
The recovered coffee, identified as belonging to Agrievorve Uganda Limited, a company owned by Jonathan Rowland, was transported to Kawempe Police Station, where it is being safeguarded pending further legal action. The State Attorney will advise on the next steps after weighing the coffee. The investigation into the case is ongoing, with police determined to bring all involved suspects to justice.
