Four including police officer arrested over theft of coffee beans worth Shs380m

Kampala, (UG):- The Territorial Police in Kampala Metropolitan has arrested four suspects including a police officer over theft of 21,600 kilograms of coffee beans valued at UGX 380 million in Mukono.

The KMP Spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango confirmed the report in a Thursday statement saying the arrest came after a case was reported at Mukono Police Station on July 4, 2024, under reference Mukono CRB 982/2024.

The four suspects include; David Kihara Muthoni, 28, and Samuel Njeru Maina, 36, both Kenyan nationals, D/ASP Katende Ali, a police officer attached to Katwe Police Station and Musisi Juma, 28, a Ugandan national.

According to preliminary investigations, it is alleged that the truck carrying the coffee beans, owned by Export Trading Company, was diverted from its original route on the Kampala-Jinja highway to Kyetume along the Mukono-Katosi Road between July 3 and 4, 2024.

“The coffee was then offloaded into another truck, registration number UAK 416C, which fled the scene,” Onyango stated, adding that the original truck, registration number KCD 177N/ZF 4760, was later impounded and is currently being held as evidence.

The suspects, according to Mr Onyango have since appeared before the Chief Magistrates Court in Mukono and charged with stealing goods in transit.

Onyango emphasized the commitment of the Uganda Police Force to ensuring accountability, especially when its own officers are implicated. “The Uganda Police Force does not tolerate criminal behaviour, and any officer found guilty of wrongdoing will be held accountable,” he said.

“The actions of the officer involved in this case do not reflect the values of the Uganda Police Force, which remains committed to protecting and serving the community,” Onyango stressed.

The KMP spox also clarified that the incident was an isolated act by an individual officer and does not represent the Uganda Police Force as an institution. He said efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects who remain at large.

The development comes barely a week after President Museveni fumed at coffee thieves in the villages which prompted the presidential directive to ban police bonds for any capital offenders.