Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court has remanded a porter attached to Kampala Serena Hotel to Luzira prison over the alleged theft of $12,000 cash belonging to a visiting South Sudanese military officer.
William Ssemata, 39, appeared before Grade One Magistrate Rophine Achayo and was charged with one count of theft. He is accused of stealing the money belonging to Brig Gen Aaron Jeremiah Balla, of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces.
According to the charge sheet, Ssemata allegedly committed the offence on April 12, 2026, at Serena Hotel in Kampala. Prosecution states that Brig Gen Balla had travelled to Uganda from Malaysia via Entebbe International Airport with $12,300 (about Shs 45 million), part of which had reportedly been given to him by the President of South Sudan for purchasing gifts, including a wristwatch.
Court heard that $300 was exchanged at the airport, leaving $12,000, which was retained for shopping. Upon arrival at the hotel, the complainant’s luggage, comprising three suitcases and a handbag was received and screened by hotel staff, including the accused, who was assigned to deliver the items to the guest’s room.
Investigators say CCTV footage shows Ssemata handling the luggage and later entering a lift alone. However, the absence of surveillance cameras inside the lift created a gap in monitoring during a critical period.
A statement by the hotel’s assistant security manager, Moses Olowo, indicates that internal checks and CCTV review identified Ssemata as the only staff member in direct contact with the luggage at the time.
Prosecution, led by state attorney Grace Amy, told court that investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the missing money. Ssemata was arrested on April 18, 2026, and handed over to Central Police Station before being arraigned in court, where he denied the charge.
Magistrate Achayo remanded him to Luzira Prison until May 13, 2026, when the case will return for further hearing before trial magistrate Ritah Kidasa
