Overview:
George Byaruhanga, 45, a resident of Wamala in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, appeared before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi on Thursday, facing six counts of electronic fraud, impersonation, forgery, and uttering false documents.
A boda boda rider from Nansana has been charged and remanded to Luzira Prison over allegations of masterminding a sophisticated digital fraud scheme that siphoned Shs332 million from Centenary Bank.
George Byaruhanga, 45, a resident of Wamala in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, appeared before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi on Thursday, facing six counts of electronic fraud, impersonation, forgery, and uttering false documents.
According to the prosecution led by Grace Amy, Byaruhanga—who allegedly operated under multiple identities, including Ronald Kintu and Rogers Ainembabazi—executed the heist in February 2025 at Centenary Bank’s Mapeera branch in Kampala.
Prosecutors say the suspect used forged documents and a fake national ID to impersonate one of the bank’s clients, Ronald Kintu, enrolling himself in Centenary Bank’s biometric verification system. He then reportedly obtained a Visa card, which he used to withdraw Shs50 million over the counter.
Court documents show that Byaruhanga subsequently transferred Shs250 million to an Exim Bank account under the name Rogers Ainembabazi and withdrew an additional Shs32 million through agent banking platforms — all executed electronically.
Investigators say the suspect’s scheme represents a growing wave of cyber-enabled financial crimes targeting banks through internal system manipulation, digital identity theft, and fraudulent account access.
Byaruhanga denied all six charges. Prosecutor Grace Amy told the court that investigations are still ongoing and requested additional time to finalize inquiries and trace possible accomplices.
Magistrate Kayizzi noted that Byaruhanga’s sureties were absent and advised the accused of his right to apply for bail. The suspect requested a short adjournment to allow his relatives to prepare as sureties.
The case has been adjourned to November 12, 2025, for further hearing and consideration of bail.
If proven, the case could mark one of the largest cyber fraud incidents involving an individual in Uganda’s recent banking history, highlighting the growing risks of digital impersonation and biometric fraud in the country’s expanding financial technology ecosystem.