Court jails land thief Kavuuma over shs740m fraud

KAMPALA: The Anti-Corruption Court has sentenced Kavuuma Ibrahim to three and a half years in prison for his role in a property fraud scheme that allegedly cost a victim $205,556, equivalent to about Shs740 million.

The court also ordered Kavuuma to refund Shs70 million to the victim and forfeited Shs8,004,700, $2,000 and a motor vehicle recovered from him during his arrest. The assets are to be used towards compensating the victim.

The case stems from an incident on July 15, 2025, when Kavuuma and accomplices who are still at large allegedly used forged property documents to convince the victim that they were the legitimate owners of the property.

The documents reportedly included a certificate of title, sale agreements and transfer forms, which were allegedly falsified to facilitate the fraudulent transaction.

Through the scheme, the suspects obtained $205,556 from the victim, according to the prosecution.

Kavuuma was subsequently arrested by the Inspectorate of Government and charged with forgery, uttering false documents, obtaining money by false pretence and money laundering.

The conviction marks a development in the case, although other suspects linked to the alleged scheme remain at large.

The court’s orders on compensation and forfeiture are intended to help recover part of the victim’s losses.