White man arrested over fake bomb in Lubowa, Shs 600m ransom demands

A white man and a local boda-boda rider have been arrested for allegedly planting a fake bomb at a commercial bank in Lubowa and demanding a ransom of over Shs 600 million.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at the entrance of Absa bank and Guild Forex Bureau, both located within Quality Supermarket in Lubowa.

According to police sources, the boda-boda rider, identified as Madi Muteta, was given an envelope by the white suspect (“Mzungu”) to deliver to the two financial institutions.

When staff opened the envelopes, they found letters claiming that a pipe bomb had been placed at the entrance and demanding a ransom of more than Shs 630 million in various currencies: $120,000, £20,000, €20,000, and Shs 30 million.

“On August 19, 2025, at around 4 pm, police received information about two anonymous letters delivered to Absa bank and Guild Forex Bureau. Police cordoned off the scene, and the bomb squad responded,” a Kajjansi police report stated.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed the incident, stating that investigations are underway.

“The culprit is yet to provide his details, but everything is being done to establish his motivation,” Onyango said.

CCTV footage from the supermarket helped police track the vehicle allegedly used by the white suspect to hand over the envelopes to the boda-boda rider. The vehicle was identified as UAV 462V.

Muteta, 30, told police that the man paid him Shs 20,000 to deliver the letters to the security guards. He claimed he accepted the errand without knowing the contents of the envelopes, thinking it was a quick way to earn money.

Police have confirmed that the bomb threat was a hoax, but investigations are ongoing to establish the motive behind the act.