At least five police officers have been arrested in connection with the break in at the heavily guarded headquarters of the Bank of Uganda in Kampala.
Investigators say the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, with the attackers reportedly exploiting internal security weaknesses to gain access to the central bank’s commercial offices, where several laptops and sensitive equipment were stolen.
Preliminary findings indicate that the suspects entered the premises through a gate near City Square and remained inside for nearly three hours, moving through sections of the building before leaving with at least seven laptops.
Authorities suspect the group used duplicated keys to access the premises without forcing entry, raising concerns of possible collusion involving insiders, including members of staff and security personnel.
During the operation, the intruders allegedly disabled internet connectivity and interfered with surveillance systems, limiting real time monitoring within the facility.
Sources close to the investigation said the suspects also made away with key security equipment, including a CCTV server and an internet router valued at about Shs50 million. However, attempts to access the bank’s cash reserves reportedly failed.
Investigators say parts of the surveillance infrastructure were vandalised, although some footage was successfully retrieved. The recordings are said to show about five individuals moving through secured sections of the building.
Police officers from Central Police Station Kampala, supported by canine units, later tracked a scent trail to Mutaasa Kafeero Plaza in downtown Kampala, where security operatives sealed off parts of the area and conducted searches.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Racheal Kawala confirmed that the downtown operation was intelligence led.
“We have arrested more than 20 suspects and recovered items that will aid the ongoing investigations,” Kawala said.
Police have not yet disclosed the identities of the arrested officers as investigations continue.
More details to follow.
