The Bank of Uganda is under scrutiny after burglars broke into its headquarters in Kampala and stole seven laptops in a rare security breach at one of the country’s most sensitive institutions.
The incident, which was discovered on the morning of May 4, 2026, is reported to have occurred overnight at the central bank’s commercial offices located in the basement of the building along Kampala Road near City Square.
Authorities say the intruders accessed the premises, went undetected for several hours, and escaped with the equipment before the breach was noticed.
The Bank of Uganda confirmed the break-in and described it as an unlawful entry, noting that its core financial systems and national operations were not affected.
Security agencies, including police, the UPDF, the Directorate of Intelligence Services and other units, were deployed to the scene to begin investigations and collect forensic evidence.
Preliminary findings cited by investigators indicate that the suspects may have had inside knowledge of the building’s operations and movement patterns.
Police also reported that sniffer dogs were used to trace possible escape routes leading to buildings within Kampala’s central business district.
While several suspects were arrested in related downtown operations, authorities have not officially confirmed direct links between those arrests and the central bank break-in.
The incident has triggered public debate over security lapses in highly protected government institutions, with veteran journalist Simon Kaggwa Njala expressing concern over Uganda’s international image following the theft.
“Sometimes it is hard to defend Uganda as bad press hits. How do I explain to the world that thieves broke into the most guarded Bank of Uganda and stole laptops? Really, how?” he remarked.
He further drew parallels with other past incidents involving state property, adding:
“The same way thieves stole the Police bus. Do you even remember how the ministry of health once bought Double Cabin pick up ambulances?”
Authorities say investigations are ongoing as they seek to establish how the intruders bypassed multiple layers of security in a facility considered critical to Uganda’s financial system.