Katwe Police Station says only nine people have recovered stolen phones out of more than thirty cases reported with most victims lacking proof of ownership. Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Rachel Kawala says only nine victims have been able to present satisfactory proof of ownership after identification and recovered their phones, while most others continue to come forward but fail to satisfy investigators.
“We continue to appeal to members of the public who have lost their iPhones to come forward with proof of ownership and any other relevant documentation to facilitate the verification process,” she said. “Following successful verification, the recovered devices will be handed over to you.”
According to a police officer at the Katwe recovery section, many claimants fail to present proof of ownership such as purchase receipt, original box, matching IMEI number (a unique 15-digit code assigned to every cellular device), or warranty documents, while others lack police case references for their lost phones.
“First you must have a police reference number showing that you reported the lost phone and if you do then we proceed to ask for any document that can match the phone you have identified but most people don’t have these things and there is no way they can prove ownership” an officer said.
Among the lucky ones is Joyce Nabukenya, who lost her iPhone in Nsambya after thugs snatched it in traffic over the weekend. She said after hearing about the recovery operations, she reported to her nearby police station and was advised to check at Katwe Police Station.
Police have for the past two weeks intensified operations targeting areas described as hubs for selling stolen phones within the Kampala Metropolitan area, especially in the Kampala Central Business District – CBD, with two major operations conducted at Cooper Complex that resulted in the recovery of dozens of stolen phones.
The recovery of 120 iPhones on Tuesday, followed the July 16 theft of an officer’s phone in Kisenyi, that lead to the arrest of Richard Mugabi, 27, who said he sold it for 900,000 shillings to retailer Juma Mugerwa that owned the phone selling shop at cooper Complex.
Another operation conducted today by Kabalagala Police led to the recovery of eleven iPhones suspected to be stolen and the arrest of one suspect, Mariam Nakitende, while other accomplices remain at large, bringing the total number of recovered phones to 731.
Police Spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke said police have intensified intelligence-led operations targeting the illegal trade in stolen mobile phones following numerous complaints from members of the public. The 2025 Annual Crime Report showing Katwe, Kawempe and Old Kampala police divisions registered the highest number of phone theft cases in the country in the past five years.
Assistant Inspector General of Police and Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Tom Magambo, acknowledged that phone theft remains a significant challenge but said operations are expected to disrupt criminal networks involved in the theft and resale of mobile devices on black markets in neibouring countries especially Democratic Republic of Congo-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
