Fake Priest Arrested in Nyendo for Scaming Elderly Woman

A man who has been posing as a Catholic priest in Nyendo, Masaka City, has been apprehended by local police. Vianney Kiggundu allegedly swindled an elderly woman, Emilly Buguise, 84, out of a phone valued at Shs550,000, a laptop worth Shs1.5 million, and cash.

Buguise reported Kiggundu to the police after seeing him trend on social media in a priest’s cassock while intoxicated, which prompted her to investigate his authenticity. Preliminary findings indicate that Kiggundu was dismissed from a seminary in Uganda due to misconduct and was also expelled from a similar institution in Tanzania before returning to his fraudulent activities.

Southern Regional Police Spokesperson Twaha Kasirye confirmed the arrest, stating that Kiggundu has been deceiving individuals by claiming to be a seminarian. “We have information that he was connected to another institution in Tanzania after he was dismissed from the Ugandan seminary, but he was also expelled. And when he came back here, he continued with his old behaviour of conning people until he ran out of luck and got arrested,” Kasirye stated.

Police have recovered a laptop, a mobile phone, and other items from Kiggundu’s rented residence. Kasirye warned the public against individuals who exploit religious beliefs for financial gain and advised them to verify the authenticity of religious figures before offering donations. “People should verify before they give. The Church has structures. No priest will just appear in your village asking for money without authorization,” he cautioned.

Kiggundu is expected to face charges including obtaining money by false pretense and impersonation once investigations conclude.

Source: https://www.monitor.ug/uganda/news/national/fake-priest-arrested-in-nyendo-after-scamming-elderly-woman-of-phone-laptop-5561438