Two fined for impersonating Kampala businessman
A hawker, Frank Sempa (L), and a builder, Babu Maniharah (R), in the dock at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on charges of personating and cheating. Photo/Juliet Kigongo
What you need to know:
- The prosecution further alleges that on January 29, 2025, Sempa fraudulently obtained Shs50,000 from one Shafic Kawooya by impersonating Ham and promising to secure a loan for him.
Two people have been sentenced to a fine for impersonating Kampala businessman Hamis Kiggundu, commonly known as Ham.
Buganda Road Court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi, sentenced Frank Sempa, a hawker, and Babu Maniharah, a builder, to a fine of Shs300,000 and Shs600,000, respectively, after pleading guilty to the charges brought against them.
The two also agreed to become prosecution witnesses.
The duo entered into a plea bargain deal with the state, which resulted in a reduced sentence.
“You are hereby convicted on your plea of guilty. By the agreement between the prosecution and the accused, which has been endorsed by this court, the convicts are hereby sentenced as follows: on count one, each of the convicts is fined Shs300,000 or in default to serve six months’ imprisonment,” Mr Kayizzi ruled.
Sempa was also ordered to refund Shs50,000, which he fraudulently obtained from one Shafiq Kawooya.
Before sentencing, the prosecution led by Mr Ivan Kyazze, informed the court that the two had no prior criminal records and requested that they should be treated as first-time offenders.
The court also heard that the accused entered into a plea bargain with the prosecution in which the complainant was involved, and all the evidence that was intended for use in the trial was disclosed in the presence of the accused's lawyer and their legal rights were communicated to them.
This comes days after the court sentenced an 18-year-old student, Ruth Nandase, to a fine of Shs100,000 after she also pleaded guilty and entered into a plea bargain with the state on similar charges.
According to the prosecution, Sempa, Maniharah, Nandase, and others still at large between 2023 and February 2024, falsely presented themselves as Hamis Kiggundu of Hamis Enterprises Ltd, with the intent to defraud unsuspecting individuals in various locations within Kampala’s Central Division.
The prosecution further alleges that on January 29, 2025, Sempa fraudulently obtained Shs50,000 from one Shafic Kawooya by impersonating Ham and promising to secure a loan for him.
Their co-accused, Ronald Mwandha, who declined the plea bargain and has since denied the charges remains on remand.
Court documents reveal that a one Mr. Serugo encountered someone impersonating Ham on TikTok about two weeks ago. The impersonator claimed to help people in need.
“Serugo began chatting with the impersonator, who asked if he needed money. When Serugo said yes, the impersonator requested a deposit for 'security' and provided a manager’s contact number, which initially failed to go through,” reads part of the court record.
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