Kamuli Police Arrest Man Accused of Impersonating Coffee Enforcement Officers

By Barasa Richard Osmara Digital Media Correspondent – Eastern/Kamuli

MBULAMUTI, KAMULI — Police in Mbulamuti, Kamuli District, have arrested a man accused of impersonating coffee enforcement officers and allegedly taking coffee from farmers.

The suspect has been identified as Byasali Rogers, a resident of Nakyaka Village, Bugeywa Parish, Butansi Sub-county in Kamuli District. He was arrested following complaints from coffee farmers in the Mbulamuti area. According to Isabirye George, the area Chairperson and a coffee farmer, the suspect and an accomplice had allegedly been moving through villages pretending to be official coffee quality enforcement officers. The suspects are accused of using the false identity to access farmers’ coffee and take it away.

Isabirye condemned the alleged acts and urged young people to engage in productive activities rather than stealing from hardworking farmers. “I want to warn the youth to work for themselves instead of stealing other people's property. Coffee is our livelihood and we cannot allow criminals to take it,” Isabirye said. The Head of Local Coffee Quality Enforcement in the area, Kabale Isma, warned farmers to remain vigilant against individuals claiming to be coffee enforcement officers.

He urged farmers to demand proper identification from anyone purporting to be an enforcement officer and to report suspicious individuals to authorities. “These are fraudulent people. Our enforcement team never takes people's coffee. We advise farmers to report any suspicious persons immediately,” Kabale warned.

By press time, Byasali was being held at Mbulamuti Police Station, where investigations were ongoing. The suspect denied the allegations and provided his own account of the incident. Police are also pursuing a second suspect who reportedly fled and remains at large.

The incident has raised concern among coffee farmers in the area, particularly as coffee remains an important source of income for households across Kamuli and the wider Busoga sub-region.

Authorities have urged farmers to be cautious and verify the identity of anyone claiming to represent coffee quality enforcement authorities before handing over their produce.