Buganda Road Chief Magistrate has charged six Ugandans implicated in a Shs 12.6 billion (Rwf 4.9 billion) cyber fraud at Equity Bank Rwanda.
Appearing before Magistrate Ritah Naumbe Kidasa, the six were charged with electronic fraud and remanded pending investigations, as the court peruses their bail applications.
The suspects are Solomon Mugisha alias Nelson, 33; farmer Enock Mpanga Kazige, 34; Benedicto Kateraga, 35; farmer Faruk Kiyimba, 30; Gerard Oketch, 31, a supporting engineer at Medix Ltd; and Katamba Isma, a businessman and Uber driver.
Prosecution claims that the six, along with accomplices still at large, executed a high-stakes cyber heist between February 14 and 18, 2026, operating across Kigali, Rwanda, and Kampala, Uganda.
Court filings allege that the group exploited computer systems and used sophisticated deception to infiltrate Equity Bank Kigali, illegally siphoning Rwf 4.9 billion.
The charges state that the accused deliberately manipulated the bank’s digital operations to secure substantial unlawful gains, highlighting the growing threat of cross-border cybercrime in East Africa.
Investigators allege that the group used stolen credentials and false identities to access multiple bank accounts, transferring large sums into accounts under their control. Authorities say the fraud was carefully coordinated, targeting both corporate and personal accounts, and involved the use of mobile money platforms to quickly move funds across borders.
Bank officials revealed that the fraud was only discovered when unusual transactions triggered internal monitoring alerts, prompting an emergency review of account activities. The scale and speed of the theft raised alarms about vulnerabilities in digital banking systems, and the bank immediately notified regulators in both Rwanda and Uganda.
The Rwanda and Uganda authorities are now collaborating to track the accomplices still at large, with cross-border intelligence sharing to prevent similar cyber heists in the future. Law enforcement agencies have warned banks and customers to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated digital fraud schemes.
