Uganda Cracks Down on Mineral Fraud as Directors Charged in 785 kg Fake Gold Scandal
Kajjansi, Uganda — The fight against mineral fraud and gold-related scams in Uganda continues to gain momentum following a complaint involving 785 kilograms of minerals purportedly sold as gold.
Isaac Akampulira Rukanda, one of the directors of Detail Security Company Ltd., has been charged with offenses related to mineral fraud before the Kajjansi Chief Magistrates Court.
The matter was brought to the attention of the State Minister for Privatisation and Investment, Hon. Hajjat Aminah Mukalazi, who coordinated with key stakeholders in the investment chain, including the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU) led by Col. Edith Nakalema, to ensure that the complaint was followed up conclusively.
Police subsequently secured and cordoned off the scene as investigations commenced. The Anti-Corruption Unit, working in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), has since arraigned Akampulira Isaac Rukanda, a Director of Details Security Company Ltd, before the Kajjansi Chief Magistrates Court.
Akampulira faces charges of storing minerals without a licence and mixing minerals with intent to defraud. Prosecution alleges that between February 2025 and August 2026, he and others still at large kept minerals, including copper, zinc and cobalt, without a valid licence, and mixed them in different proportions before presenting them as gold bars, allegedly with the intention of defrauding investors. He has been remanded until 16 September 2026.
In a related development, Kayiwa Amir has been arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court on charges of offering a gratification. He was allegedly offering UGX 8 million to police officers guarding the crime scene at Detail Security Company Ltd, to allow him access into the facility with intent to tamper with the evidence.
He was arrested while bribing officers deployed by the Police Mineral Protection Unit (PMPU) to secure the scene. He has been remanded until 30 September 2026.
Coordinated enforcement amongst government agencies in disrupting mineral fraud and other fraudulent schemes that hinder investment remains key for investor protection.
SHIPU reiterates its support to ensuring that all perpetrators involved in this fraud face the full force of the law, while securing a thriving investment landscape.
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