Hackers steal $17m from Ugandan Central Bank amid controversy over internal involvement

The theft of 62 billion Ugandan shillings ($17 million) from the Bank of Uganda has sparked widespread controversy and raised questions about responsibility for the breach.

Reports from New Vision suggest that hackers, allegedly from a Southeast Asian group called “Waste,” breached the central bank’s systems. The stolen funds were reportedly transferred to accounts in Japan and the UK in September.

However, Daily Monitor provides a slightly different figure, noting that 47.8 billion shillings were taken. The report hints at an internal conspiracy, with both central bank and finance ministry employees under investigation. An audit by the Bank of Uganda also supports the theory of an inside job.

While the central bank announced it had recovered 37 billion shillings, investigations remain ongoing to identify those responsible and recover the remaining funds. The incident has prompted heightened scrutiny of Uganda’s financial security systems.