The suspects in the dock at the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Multiple charges have been leveled against eight security personnel, including five Counter Terrorism Police officers and three private security guards, over a security breach at the Bank of Uganda in which office laptops worth millions of shillings were stolen.
The suspects are facing trial at the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court, where they have been accused of neglecting to prevent a felony under Section 362 of the Penal Code Act. The charge stems from an overnight break-in at the Bank of Uganda headquarters in Kampala on May 3, 2026.
Prosecution alleges that the security personnel failed to take reasonable steps to stop the burglary despite being on duty and having reason to believe that a felony was being committed inside the central bank’s premises.
The case has attracted attention because of the sensitivity of the institution involved and the apparent ability of the intruders to penetrate a heavily guarded facility and remain inside for several hours without being detected.
According to the prosecution’s case, the intruders spent nearly three hours inside the Bank of Uganda premises, moving through office areas before making away with laptops valued at more than Shs35 million.
The theft raised immediate questions about how the suspects gained access to restricted areas and why security systems and personnel failed to detect or stop them.
Investigators are particularly interested in the circumstances surrounding the alleged access to offices without obvious signs of forced entry. Preliminary inquiries have reportedly raised the possibility that duplicated keys may have been used, while questions have also been raised about whether some guards abandoned their designated posts.
These circumstances placed the officers and private guards who were responsible for securing the building under intense scrutiny.
The prosecution’s case is not necessarily that the eight security personnel participated directly in the theft. Rather, they are accused of failing in their legal duty to prevent a felony when they allegedly knew, or had reason to believe, that a criminal act was taking place.
The distinction is important because the charge of neglect to prevent a felony targets alleged failures by individuals who had a duty to intervene, rather than necessarily accusing them of being the people who stole the property.
The investigation has therefore sought to establish what each security officer was doing during the period when the intruders were inside the building, whether established security procedures were followed and how the suspects managed to move around the premises undetected.
The involvement of five Counter Terrorism Police officers has also intensified scrutiny of the incident. Counter Terrorism Police personnel are expected to provide specialised security support, making the alleged breach particularly embarrassing for the security establishment.
The three private guards have similarly been questioned over their responsibilities during the night of the incident.
Authorities are also investigating whether there was any internal assistance or collusion that enabled the burglars to access the offices. The suspected use of duplicated keys and alleged abandonment of duty posts have become important lines of inquiry.
The stolen laptops, although not necessarily representing the most financially valuable assets at the central bank, have raised broader concerns about security, confidentiality and access control at one of Uganda’s most sensitive institutions.
The trial is consequently expected to examine not only the loss of property but also whether the security personnel discharged the responsibilities entrusted to them.
As the case proceeds, investigators will have to establish whether the alleged failures were acts of negligence, deliberate breaches of duty or evidence of a wider security lapse. The proceedings could ultimately determine how accountability is assigned for a burglary that exposed vulnerabilities inside the country’s central banking institution.
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