news 5 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Four Remanded for Alleged Online Sexual Exploitation in Kira
Four individuals have been charged and remanded in prison for their alleged roles in an online sex trafficking ring that reportedly exploited young women and girls in Kira Municipality. The group is accused of operating a criminal syndicate that used fraud and deception to recruit and exploit victims for sexual purposes and child labor. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/four-charged-over-alleged-online-sexual-exploitation-ring-in-kira-5486718
Authorities have charged and remanded four individuals in connection with an alleged online sex trafficking syndicate operating in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District. The accused, identified as Vivian Kobela, Martha Lubango, Juma Oguti, and Irene Naziwa, appeared before Kira Grade One Magistrate Ivan Seguya and face multiple charges related to aggravated trafficking in persons, with a total of 22 victims mentioned.
Investigators allege that from September 2025 to May 2026, the syndicate operated in Mbalwa, a community within Kira Municipality. The group is accused of recruiting, transporting, harboring, and receiving victims through deceitful means, abuse of power, and exploiting vulnerable circumstances. The prosecution asserts that the victims were subjected to both sexual exploitation and harmful child labor.
As the alleged offenses are serious and fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court, the magistrate did not accept pleas from the accused. They were subsequently remanded to Luzira Prison until July 2, when the case is scheduled for mention. Meanwhile, criminal summons have been issued for two other suspects, Aminah Nalubega and Madinah Namatovu, who are currently at large.
The charges follow a police operation in Mbalwa approximately two weeks prior, prompted by intelligence reports of illicit activities. During a nighttime raid, police apprehended at least 28 individuals and discovered what investigators described as significant digital broadcasting equipment. Inside a secluded three-bedroom house, officers found 27 young women, aged 17 to 26, and one male. Preliminary findings suggest the location was used for producing commercial online adult content. Exhibits seized include laptops, cameras, and specialized adult devices.
Under Uganda’s anti-trafficking legislation, individuals convicted of such crimes face severe penalties, with the possibility of the death penalty by hanging as the maximum punishment.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)