Senior Police Officer and Others Remanded Over Coffee Theft

A startling case of coffee theft has resulted in the remand of a senior police officer and several other individuals at Kauga Prison. The Mukono Chief Magistrate’s Court, under the leadership of Rehema Nassozi Ssebbowa, has remanded the suspects until January 13, 2025.

Among the suspects are Senior Police Officer Ali Katende from Katwe Police Station, two Kenyan nationals—David Kihara Muthoni and Samuel Njeru Maina—and Juma Musisi. They are accused of stealing 21,600 kg of coffee beans valued at Shs 383 million.

The theft reportedly occurred in July 2024 when a truck carrying the coffee beans was diverted from its intended route. The coffee was then offloaded onto another truck, which subsequently fled the scene.

Patrick Onyango, the spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police, explained that the truck had been cleared to transport the coffee beans for export to Mombasa, Kenya. However, the truck was intercepted, and the coffee was stolen.

“The coffee was offloaded into another truck, registration number UAK 416C, which fled the scene,” Onyango said. “We believe the stolen coffee was taken to a coffee factory connected to an Asian businessman, where it was allegedly exported to India.”

Onyango stressed that the Uganda Police Force does not tolerate criminal behavior and that any officers involved in wrongdoing will face accountability.

“The actions of the officer involved in this case do not reflect the values of the Uganda Police Force, which is dedicated to protecting and serving the community,” he added.

The investigation revealed that the stolen coffee was transported to a coffee factory using a Mercedes-Benz box truck. Initially, police had seized both the Kenyan truck and the Mercedes Benz box truck. However, the Mercedes-Benz truck mysteriously disappeared from the police station’s parking lot.

Other suspects, including Kenyan truck driver Njeru, Lameck Walakira, and Kiguddu, were arrested and guided investigators to the coffee factory. Closed-circuit television footage further implicated a convoy of five vehicles linked to the crime, including a police patrol car.