A Serena hotel staff member has been remanded to Luzira prison on allegations of stealing $12,000 (about Shs45 million), which money had reportedly been earmarked by a soldier to buy a gift for the President of South Sudan.
William Ssemata, 39, appeared on Monday, April 27, before Grade One Magistrate Rophine Achayo at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Prosecution led by Ms Grace Amy, told court that inquiries are incomplete and requested more time to conclude investigations.
“Investigations in this matter are still ongoing,” she said
Ssemata, a staff at Serena Hotel and a resident of Nansana Village in Wakiso District, is charged with theft contrary to Sections 237(1) and 244 of the Penal Code Act.
According to the charge sheet, Ssemata is alleged to have stolen Shs45 million on April 12, 2026, at Serena Hotel in Kampala. The money is said to belong to Brigadier Aaron Jeremiah Balla, a South Sudanese national.
Magistrate Achayo remanded the accused to prison until May 13, when he is expected to appear before the trial Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa for plea taking.
The prosecution alleges that on the day of the incident, Brig Gen Balla had just arrived in Uganda from Malaysia through Entebbe International Airport at around 4:00pm.
He reportedly had about Shs46 million in his possession, which he intended to use to procure a gift specifically a watch for the President of South Sudan.
In his statement to police, Balla said he exchanged part of the money upon arrival and set aside Shs45 million, which he kept in his luggage before proceeding to Serena Hotel in Kampala.
Court documents indicate that upon arrival at the hotel, the complainant’s luggage comprising three suitcases and a handbag was received and screened by hotel staff, including Ssemata.
That the accused was then assigned to deliver the luggage to Balla’s room.
However, it is during this process that the money allegedly went missing.
According to the court documents CCTV footage from the hotel show Ssemata handling the luggage and entering a lift alone while transporting the items.
Notably, there are no surveillance cameras inside the lift, which authorities believe may have provided an opportunity for the alleged theft to occur undetected.
“No footage shows any other person accessing the luggage during that period,” states part of the court documents.
A statement from the hotel’s assistant security manager, Moses Olowo, further indicates that an internal review of CCTV footage and staff movements pointed to Ssemata as the only individual who had direct contact with the bags at the critical time.
“The internal checks and CCTV analysis identified Ssemata as the sole staff member in possession of the luggage before it reached the guest’s room,” Olowo said in his statement to police.
Following these findings, Ssemata was apprehended and later handed over to police on April 18, 2026, to assist with investigations.
Despite the allegations, Ssemata has not yet responded to the charges in court, as he is yet to take plea.
Lately, Serena Hotel has been grappling with many challenges, including nonpayment of workers that forced staff to strike.
