Police have arrested city socialite Christian Asiimwe, popularly known as Don Chris over allegations of obtaining money by false pretence and fraudulent recruitment of Ugandans for jobs abroad.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) spokesperson Rachael Kawala, Chris, the former director of the now-defunct labour recruitment company Sky Pins Tours and Travel, was arrested on Wednesday night at a bar in Zana, Makindye-Ssabagabo municipality, Wakiso district, after months of investigations and a nationwide manhunt.
Kawala said Chris is accused of obtaining money from hundreds of job seekers by falsely claiming that he could secure them employment in countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Qatar and Dubai, among others.
The alleged fraud is said to have occurred between 2022 and 2025, with the promised jobs including positions as waiters, cleaners, caregivers and other low-skilled workers.
Police say they have so far recorded statements from more than 500 alleged victims, each of whom reportedly paid between Shs 5 million and Shs 10 million, depending on the destination and type of job promised.
Chris is being held in police custody as investigations continue and is expected to be taken to court to face the charges.
Manhunt
The arrest follows a manhunt launched by the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) in June 2025 after at least 85 job seekers petitioned then state minister for Youth and Children Affairs Balaam Barugahara, complaining that they had lost money to Sky Pins.
Barugahara subsequently referred the complainants to CID, prompting investigations into the company’s operations and the whereabouts of its directors.
Investigators established that Sky Pins had mounted an extensive advertising campaign on television, radio and TikTok, inviting job seekers to its offices at Haruna Mall in Ntinda.
The company reportedly promised applicants that they could travel for employment on credit, provided they paid half of the required fees upfront. Applicants were issued company receipts and assured that they would travel within two to six months.
However, according to the complaints, none of the applicants travelled as promised.
As the complaints mounted, investigators discovered that the company had quietly relocated from Haruna Mall to Kitende along Entebbe road, where its offices were later found abandoned.
The number of complainants rose from 85 in June to more than 350 by July 2025, while investigators estimated that the amount collected from victims had reached between Shs 1.4 billion and Shs 1.75 billion.
Some victims also told investigators that they were threatened when they demanded refunds. Police said Chris subsequently fled Uganda, crossing through the Malaba border on June 20, 2025, as the investigation intensified.
Return from South Africa
Reports indicate that Chris had been living in South Africa after leaving Uganda and only returned quietly following a surge in xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in the country.
Since his return, he had reportedly been keeping a low profile in Munyonyo and surrounding areas, before his arrest in Zana. The arrest brings to a head a case that has left hundreds of Ugandan job seekers claiming they lost substantial sums of money while pursuing employment opportunities abroad.
Company gave victims confidence
While police have described Sky Pins as a fictitious labour recruitment operation, information from the ministry of Internal Affairs suggests that the company had at one point facilitated travel for seven Ugandans to the Netherlands.
Investigators believe the successful placement of the seven workers may have helped give the company an appearance of legitimacy and increased confidence among prospective clients, allowing it to attract more job seekers.
Labour recruitment fraud has remained a persistent problem in Uganda, with unscrupulous operators exploiting the high demand for jobs abroad by promising lucrative employment in exchange for large upfront payments.
Police have urged anyone who paid money to Sky Pins Tours and Travel and has not yet reported the matter to come forward and record a statement at the nearest police station.
The public has also been advised to verify the licensing status of labour recruitment agencies with the relevant authorities before making payments or surrendering personal documents to recruitment agents.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing and that additional charges or suspects could emerge as more victims and evidence are identified.
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