The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Five students are stuck at East Division Police Station in Fort Portal after they were conned in a job scam. The students from Mbale and Bulambuli districts who are in senior four and six vacation were allegedly promised jobs by Empowered Consumerism in Africa Company.
The students are Phionah Muyama, Edwin Isaiah Napokoli, Doreen Mutuwa, Sophia Nandudu, and Sam Dimadu.
Napokoli who hails from Bulambuli district says that his former teacher connected him to Esther Namukwaye to get him a job. According to Napokoli, Namukwaye promised to find him a job in Fort Portal and would be paid 100,000 Shillings-130,000 Shillings per month.
Napokoli explains that he was told to buy a mattress, 5 kilograms of rice, 10 kilograms of millet flour, and rent of 70,000 Shillings which will be refunded.
While in Fort Portal, Napokoli was also asked to pay 20,000 Shillings for registration and interviews. He was later taken to Kisenyi, in Fort Portal City to a building that they claimed were the offices of the company.
After passing the interviews, he was told to pay 1.4 Million Shillings to buy a laptop, company uniform, shoes, and a company ID. According to Napokoli, his father was forced to sell part of his coffee plantation to raise money.
However, two weeks after paying the money, officials of the company disappeared and the offices closed.
The victims are now camped at East Division Police Station and are demanding compensation from the company. They say that they don’t have money for transport back to their homes.
Vincent Twesige, the Rwenzori West Police Spokesperson says that following complaints from the students, the police arrested five officials of the company. They are Lyndon Mugumisirize, Kenneth Aligonza, Godfrey Namisi, Esther Namakoye, Rebecca Nafuna, and Enida Nandudu.
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