A 33-year-old woman has been charged and remanded to Luzira prison after allegedly masquerading as an engineer for the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to defraud a born-again church of a staggering Shs700 million (approximately KSh 21 million).
Ritah Namalwa, a Kampala businesswoman, appeared before Grade One Magistrate Andrew Katurubuki at the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, where she faced four serious charges: theft, personation, forgery, and uttering false documents. Namalwa denied all charges brought against her.
The prosecution claims that between 2020 and 2024, Namalwa, along with others still at large, orchestrated a scheme that resulted in the theft of $86,000 and Shs374 million from Dunamis Media and Prayer Palace Ministry, a prominent local church.
In a shocking twist, Namalwa allegedly posed as both an engineer and a personal assistant to the UCC’s executive director, seeking to gain the church’s trust. The second charge asserts that she falsely represented herself to further her fraudulent intentions.
Further compounding the allegations, prosecutors say Namalwa forged various UCC tax invoices and a business card identifying her as “Engineer/PA to ED.” The charges claim she knowingly and fraudulently passed off these false documents, including UCC tax invoices signed by the executive director, to swindle the church out of its funds.
Magistrate Katurubuki remanded Namalwa until September 21, when she is set to appear before Chief Magistrate Erias Kakooza, currently unavailable due to medical reasons. As the case unfolds, it raises serious questions about the lengths to which individuals may go to exploit trust within the community, particularly targeting religious organizations.
Authorities are reportedly continuing their search for Namalwa’s accomplices, urging anyone with related information to step forward.
