MISSING POLICE PRADOs SCANDAL! Top Police Bosses Probed Over ‘Ghost’ Sh5bn Vehicle Procurement Deal

Several senior cops, some at the level of directors within the Uganda Police Force, are not happy after missing out on vehicles that were allegedly procured for their directorates, Red Pepper has exclusively learnt.

Highly placed sources told Red Pepper that between 2021 and 2024, the Uganda Police Force budgeted and set aside funds to procure 21 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicles for various directorates. Due to the security-sensitive nature of the procurement, the vehicles reportedly qualified for tax exemptions, with each unit budgeted at approximately Shs240 million.

Sources indicate that the supply contract was allegedly awarded to a Kampala-based motor vehicle dealership located along in Kansanga. The company is known for importing both brand-new and used vehicles for government agencies, organizations and private clients.

However, information from a whistleblower now alleges that only 17 of the 21 Prado vehicles were actually supplied to the Uganda Police Force, despite claims that payment of Sh5bn was made for all 21 units. This implies that four vehicles valued at Sh.960m were allegedly never delivered. Money pocketed? By who?

The alleged shortfall reportedly left several directorates without their allocated vehicles, prompting repeated complaints from affected officials over the years.

Red Pepper has now established that investigators attached to State House, who are already probing the multi-billion-shilling CCTV maintenance project bribery scandal, have since taken interest in the alleged ghost vehicle procurement.

Sources familiar with the ongoing investigations whispered to Red Pepper that several senior police officers are now under active scrutiny as investigators seek to establish whether the four missing vehicles were ever delivered, who received them, and how they could have disappeared from official records. More details to come.

Investigators are also examining whether procurement and accountability procedures were followed and whether any public funds may have been lost through fraudulent supply claims.

The complaints and investigations have reportedly exposed serious administrative and logistical gaps within the force’s vehicle management systems.

To make matters worse, Red Pepper has also learnt that some top police officers are separately being investigated over another alleged procurement saga involving approximately Shs360 billion linked to an influential Kenyan national and vehicle dealer Ashok Leyland. Details of this probe will be revealed in our subsequent publication.

The latest investigations come at a time when State House is intensifying scrutiny of the controversial CCTV maintenance project, a scandal that has already claimed several high-profile casualties.

Among those sent on forced leave pending investigations are Internal Affairs Permanent Secretary Lt. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu, Police Undersecretary Aggrey Wunyi, and AIGP Felix Baryamwisaki, the Director of ICT at the Uganda Police Force.

As investigators dig deeper into the alleged missing Prado vehicles, attention is now turning to whether the force fell victim to a sophisticated procurement fraud scheme or whether the vehicles were diverted through an internal network of officials.

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