Kampala, Uganda | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Kenneth Nkurunugi, a 36-year-old former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier, was apprehended by the police for allegedly possessing counterfeit US Dollars totaling $40,000.
Nkurunugi retired from the UPDF in 2008 and now serves as a military trainer in Juba, South Sudan. He was arrested on October 12, 2023, at Namayiba Bus Terminal in Old Kampala, Zone One, Kampala Central District, during an operation led by the Old Kampala Police.
The operation, as explained by Mr. Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, was initiated based on credible intelligence about an individual in possession of a small box containing counterfeit black dollars valued at $40,000.
As per Mr. Owoyesigyire, Nkurunugi, a resident of Rukungiri, had come back to Uganda for a vacation on August 19, 2023, intending to return to Juba on September 19, 2023, but extended his stay. The suspect claimed that the counterfeit currency package was meant to be transported to Juba via Classic Bus. Allegedly, he was contacted by Musa Adam, a resident of Juba, who instructed Nkurunugi on October 12, 2023, to meet an unknown individual in town to receive the package.
The exchange transpired near Total Katwe, close to BMK House, where Nkurunugi received the sealed box and proceeded to Namayiba Bus Terminal. He handed it over to Classic Bus staff before his departure. However, he was summoned back to retrieve the package, only to find that it had been left behind by the bus. Police intervened at this juncture, leading to his arrest.
After inspection, it was confirmed that the money in the box was counterfeit black dollars, totaling USD 40,000. The police are actively investigating this case, and further details will be provided as the investigation progresses.
SUSPECT ARRESTED WITH COUNTERFEIT US DOLLARS@Lukowoyesigyire | Further investigations revealed that the suspect, Nkurunugi Kenneth serves as a military trainer in Juba, South Sudan . He had returned to Uganda for a vacation on August 19, 2023, with plans to… pic.twitter.com/10ZCMMOMB0
— Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) October 14, 2023