‘State House’ Official Arrested After Fraudulently Milking Ugx60M From Member Of Parliament

By Frank Kamuntu

The Kampala Metropolitan South Police have arrested a 53-year-old businesswoman accused of impersonating an official from the Office of the President and allegedly defrauding a Member of Parliament of Shs60 million through false promises of accessing government funding.

The suspect, Hope Tumwebaze, a resident of Kamukuzi in Mbarara City, is currently in police custody as investigators probe allegations of impersonation and obtaining money by false pretences.

According to Police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke, Tumwebaze allegedly presented herself as someone working directly under President Yoweri Museveni and claimed she could facilitate access to government funds earmarked for development projects in selected districts.

Preliminary investigations indicate that between June 2025 and subsequent months, the suspect approached the legislator at various locations in Kampala and convinced the MP to part with money after promising to secure funding for service delivery projects in the constituency.

Believing the claims, the legislator reportedly transferred a total of Shs60 million to Tumwebaze.

Police said the victim later became suspicious and reported the matter, prompting investigators to open a General Enquiry File (GEF) and launch investigations that culminated in the suspect’s arrest.

“So, she managed to secure Shs60 million from the victim, but the victim eventually came to the police. We opened a General Enquiry File, carried out investigations, and finally managed to arrest her,” Rusoke told journalists on Monday.

Police declined to reveal the identity of the affected Member of Parliament, citing the ongoing investigation.

Investigators are also looking into the possibility that the suspect may have targeted other victims using a similar scheme.

“Our preliminary investigations indicate that there might even be more victims than the honourable Member of Parliament,” Rusoke said.

Authorities have since urged public officials, political leaders, and members of the public to exercise caution when approached by individuals claiming to represent government offices or offering to facilitate access to public funds.

Rusoke emphasized that anyone claiming to act on behalf of the Office of the President can easily be verified through official government channels before any financial commitments are made.

Police have encouraged anyone who may have encountered similar schemes or fallen victim to impersonation fraud to report the matter to the nearest police station as investigations continue.