UCC probes Posta Uganda over UK missing parcel

 UCC executive director Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo at the launch of the e- Posta service last week. UCC is the national regulator of the communication sector. PHOTO/ COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • UCC started investigations after Ms Pearl Mamawi complained that her parcel came from United Kingdom on May 12 via P.O Box #3114 C/O Greystone Advocates but since then, she has not received it.
  • Ms Mamawi told UCC that the parcel came from United Kingdom via Royal Mail, which is their courier.

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) is investigating officials at Posta Uganda Limited after a woman lodged a complaint concerning the alleged theft of a parcel sent to her from the United Kingdom.

UCC started investigations after Ms Pearl Mamawi complained that her parcel came from United Kingdom on May 12 via P.O Box #3114 C/O Greystone Advocates but since then, she has not received it.
Ms Mamawi told UCC that the parcel came from United Kingdom via Royal Mail, which is their courier.

Mr Ibrahim Bbosa, the UCC senior public relations officer, said they are engaging both parties in the matter.
 “We are taking the matter through established procedure, which usually makes us to engage both parties, Posta Uganda and the complainant,” Mr Bbosa said yesterday.

“The commission will pronounce itself on the same after that process is complete. However, I can also confirm that this matter is unique because we have never received any complaint similar to this one,” he added.

Ms Pearl Mamawi told Daily Monitor that when the parcel was sent, she expected to receive a notification from Posta Uganda within three weeks of sending it as is usually the case, in vain.

“I assumed it was due to the Covid situation, so chose to be patient. After the lockdown, I asked my person to check again for the notification and there was still none,” she said.

“But I urged him to inquire from the counter where he was told that the parcel was being held at the Private Bag Office, he informed me and I rushed to receive my items, however when I got there, I  was asked to wait and after 10 minutes, a young woman came out and said my parcel had been collected,” she added.

Ms Mamawi further explained that while at Posta Uganda, she was told to get in touch with the supervisor called Ms Lilian Ninsiima to help her get the parcel.

“Lillian asked me to give her time to check and revert, and she took my number, after I didn’t hear from her for three days, I decided to go back,” she said.
Ms Mamawi explained that after some time, they called her again, asking to know how the parcel looked like as well as the tracking number.

“It took me a few days to get the tracking number but when I eventually did and tracked my parcel, to my shock it had been there since May 22, 10 days after it was sent but I was surprised when they called me after some days saying that my parcel could not be found and they advised me to go for compensation,” she said.

Ms Mamawi said she has since held two meetings with Posta Uganda company secretary, Mr Ogwal Opio, about the compensation plan.

“… his advice was to seek proof and compensation but as I said before, those items and their contents are of very sentimental value to me, irreplaceable by any amount of money,” she noted.
Ms Ninsiima told this newspaper that she has been stopped from commenting on the matter because it is being investigated by the company secretary and  UCC.
Efforts to reach Mr Opio were futile as he didn’t not answer our calls.

UCC role
UCC is the national regulator of the communication sector, which includes telecommunications, broadcasting, radio, postal communications, data communication and infrastructure.