The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 29-year-old car washer Vincent Mugabi to 21 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to stealing more than Shs 50 million from a client’s vehicle.
Mugabi, who worked at Red Basket Washing Bay and Restaurant opposite Spear House on Jinja Road, was accused of stealing money from the car of lawyer Nasser Sserunjogi, which he had been assigned to clean.
Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi delivered the sentence on Tuesday after Mugabi entered a plea bargain with the complainant. The court noted that Mugabi had already spent one year, two months, and 13 days on remand, which will be deducted from his sentence—leaving him with about six months to serve.
Under the plea agreement, Mugabi must also compensate Sserunjogi within six months after completing his jail term.
According to court records, the theft occurred on 13 July 2024, when Mugabi, a resident of Makindye–Luwafu, stole $3,300 (about Shs 11.4 million), €9,000 (about Shs 36 million), and Shs 2.5 million in cash from Sserunjogi’s Toyota Land Cruiser (UBL 862U).
Sserunjogi told the court that he had known Mugabi for over 11 years and trusted him with his vehicles, often leaving money inside them. He said Mugabi had always been honest until that day. Investigations showed that after stealing the money, Mugabi left the car keys with a colleague named Edgar and disappeared around 7 p.m.
When Sserunjogi returned to collect his vehicle, he discovered the money missing and immediately reported the case to Kampala Central Police Station (CPS).
Police later tracked Mugabi to Tek Country Gardens in Buwama, Mpigi District, where he was arrested. Officers recovered Shs 2.9 million and €5,200 in his possession.
Mugabi confessed to the theft in a statement recorded by Detective Constable Alex Kilama and was subsequently charged with theft from a motor vehicle.
In his ruling, Magistrate Kayizzi described the act as “a serious breach of trust”, urging service workers to uphold honesty and integrity in their dealings with clients.
