A nurse in Masaka, Nakanwagi Asia, is crying out for justice after her money was allegedly stolen in December 2023 by Namayanja Sarai, commonly known as Nalongo, a former soft drinks vendor near Caveno Hotel.
What began as a simple fraud case has now taken a troubling twist, with accusations that Mr. Bahati Bisanja, the Assistant Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Kimaanya-Kabonera in Masaka city, is using his position to shield the suspect.
Speaking to our reporter, Nakanwagi narrated how she had secured a UGX 3.2 million loan from a money lender named Frank while she was away on duty in Mbarara. Since Namayanja had previously collected UGX 2 million on her behalf without issue, Frank entrusted her with the new sum. However, this time, the money never reached its rightful owner.
“I called Namayanja several times after being informed that Frank had given her my money, but she refused to pick up. When I returned after five days, I went to her workplace, but her employee told me she only comes at night,” teary-eyed Nakanwagi said.
Determined to recover her money, she hired someone to track Namayanja’s movements, leading her to the suspect’s residence. She reported the matter to Masaka Central Police Station (CPS), and Namayanja was arrested in February 2024. However, what followed left her in shock.
“The next day, Bisanja came to the police station, claiming to be Namayanja’s brother. He said they had lost a relative and needed to attend the burial, so he secured her release on police bond. She never returned,” poor Nakanwagi recounted.
As she continued pursuing the case, Nakanwagi was informed by the state attorney that a crucial witness statement, belonging to a man who had seen Frank handing over the money to Namayanja, had gone missing from the case file. When she raised concerns, she was met with discouraging remarks from an officer.
“The Investigating Officer told me I would never get my money back and advised me to let it go,” she said.
Determined not to be silenced, she sought help tracking Namayanja, paying UGX 570,000 to two officers introduced to her by the Masaka OC station. The two men later told her that the suspect was hiding in Kasenge, Wakiso District. They traveled together to arrest her, only to find that the house they were led to belonged to a police officer attached to Natete Police Station.
“When we arrived, I was told to remain in the car. The officers spoke to the policeman, who later told them that Namayanja was his wife’s sister but had already left. He claimed that Bisanja had picked her the previous day,” she explained.
Frustrated by the local authorities’ lack of action, Nakanwagi took her complaint to the Masaka Regional Police headquarters, where Bisanja was summoned. He denied knowing Namayanja’s whereabouts and asked for two weeks to find her. When that time passed, he requested another month and then stopped answering Nakanwagi’s calls altogether.
After months of waiting, she decided to go directly to the RCC’s office on January 30, 2025, where she found Bisanja himself.
“I asked him face-to-face to either bring back Namayanja or pay my money since he was the one who stood surety for her, but he still claimed he didn’t know where she was,” she said.
We reached out to Mr. Bahati Bisanja to ask about the matter. He confirmed that it was true he stood surety for Namayanja, but now he does not know her whereabouts. He advised Nakanwagi to continue looking for Namayanja, offering to assist her in arresting her, or alternatively, she should go to court and file a case against him.
Now, Nakanwagi is appealing to higher authorities to intervene, accusing Bisanja of obstructing justice.
“I have tried everything, but the authorities in Masaka have failed to help me because of Bisanja’s influence. If he stood surety for Namayanja, then he must produce her or refund my money himself,” Nakanwagi pleaded.
As the case remains unresolved, questions linger about whether justice will be served or if power will once again protect the wrongdoers. However, as the elders say, a tree that leans too much on corruption will one day fall with a great crash.
