Fresh details have emerged regarding the daring break-in at the Bank of Uganda (BoU) headquarters in Kampala, with investigators now reportedly focusing on sensitive financial and institutional data believed to have been stored on the stolen laptops.
The overnight robbery at the country’s central bank has intensified concerns within security and financial circles, especially after reports indicated that several police officers attached to the facility were arrested to assist with investigations.
The robbery occurred during the early hours of May 4 at the BoU premises on Kampala Road near City Square, where unknown assailants reportedly gained access to the heavily guarded building and escaped with seven laptops belonging to commercial liaison officers.
In an official statement, BoU confirmed the unlawful entry and theft, saying the institution was working closely with security agencies to investigate the matter. Despite the breach, the central bank maintained that its operations had not been disrupted, even as the incident sparked fresh questions about the security of critical government institutions in Uganda.
Reports indicate that the attackers also allegedly stole a CCTV server and internet router after disconnecting internet systems and vandalising surveillance cameras inside the building.
It is said that the stolen laptops contained confidential information relating to commercial banking operations, financial supervision records, and internal communication within the central bank.
Reports also suggest that the stolen data includes commercial information such as sales transactions and consumer insights.
The incident has raised fears over the possible exposure of sensitive institutional data, although Bank of Uganda officials insist that the country’s core banking systems and financial operations remain secure and fully functional.
Preliminary findings also suggested that the robbery may have involved insider collaboration, with detectives suspecting that the attackers used duplicated keys to enter the premises without forced entry.
Security footage retrieved from some surviving CCTV cameras reportedly captured several suspects moving through the building during the operation.
Investigators are also probing allegations that some security personnel assigned to guard the facility abandoned their posts before the robbery was discovered.
The investigation quickly expanded into downtown Kampala after a sniffer dog reportedly traced scents from the Bank of Uganda building to several arcades, including Mutaasa Kafeero Plaza, Kalungi Plaza, and Kirumira Towers.
Security agencies sealed off parts of the buildings as police and intelligence officers searched for the stolen items and possible suspects linked to the operation.
Kampala Metropolitan Police confirmed that multiple suspects had been arrested during the intelligence-led operation, though officials declined to directly discuss details surrounding the BoU break-in.
Reports further indicated that at least five police officers attached to the security detail at the central bank were arrested and detained to help investigators establish how the assailants penetrated one of Uganda’s most protected installations.
Mobile phones and laptops belonging to the suspected police officers were reportedly taken from them for forensic analysis.
Relatedly, first son and military chief Gen Muhoozi has warned the Bank of Uganda governor to be careful after he punched holes in the Protection of Sovereignty Bill 2026 whose opponents Museveni has described as shameful and disgusting. (See Details Here and There).
