Police in Buyende have arrested a woman who for long masqueraded as a senior UPDF officer to order the release of suspects apprehended by both the police and the army.
Eunice Keinembabazi had for many months masqueraded as a colonel in the UPDF operating in areas of Jinja and Buyende where she targeted fishermen operating Lake Kyoga in Byende district.
According to ASP Michael Kasadha, the police spokesperson for Busoga North region, Keinembabazi would always ask money from relatives of fishermen arrested by the UPDF Fisheries Protection Unit before ordering the unit to release them while masquerading as a senior officer.
“Whenever operations would be carried out, she would then call the Fisheries Protection Unit and introduced herself as Col Mbabazi. She would later order the release of suspects arrested,” Kasadha said.
He explained that the released always followed cash exchanging hands between the UPDF ‘colonel’ and the relatives of the suspects.
“Mi naitwa colonel Mbabazi. Nataka uwaachie hao wavulana wangu uliowakamata loosely translated as I am Col Mbabazi and I would like you to release those boys of mine you have arrested, she always told officers on phone.
This, according to police went on for a very long time until Wednesday when she was apprehended.
Runs out of luck
A thief has 40 days, or so it is said and the same happened to Keinembabazi who didn’t know her actions had become suspicious.
Specifically, the area Fisheries Protection Unit commander, Capt Jacob Katumba had made a report in regards to complaints made by members of the public over being extorted by army officers.
According to the North Kyoga police spokesperson, on the fateful day, the ‘colonel’ called one of the officers who had led an operation to impound illegal fishing boats and ordered him to release them.
Not knowing that security had got suspicious of her actions, the ‘colonel’ was asked by the officer at the other end of the call to come to their detach to pick the suspects .
As she always did, Keinembabazi didn’t hesitate to move to the detach.
On reaching the detach, she was asked to identify herself. Jitambuwe? One of the officers asked, before Kieinembabazi retorted that she is Col Mbabazi.
She was later asked to produce her identity card , before she broke down and admitted she was a civilian.
On checking her phone, a photo of her donning a UPDF uniform with colonel pips was found.
She was later arrested and taken for a search at her home that led to recovery of a framed photo where she was dressed in military fatigue.
The Busoga North Police spokesperson says Keinembabazi is currently detained at Bukungu police station.
He said investigations are ongoing.
