By Spy Uganda
My Personal Experience – Part 1
Three months ago, I was scammed out of UGX 100,000 by a suspected Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) warden via a phone call.
The suspected male warden called me, introducing himself as David Balondemu, the Kampala District Land Board Chairman and a lawyer at Balon Advocates. At the time, Balondemu was remanded at Luzira Prison over alleged fraudulent activities.
Initially, the caller spoke in his real voice, claiming to be a warden at Luzira Prison. He then stated that David Balondemu wanted to speak with me and asked if I knew him. I responded affirmatively. The warden then purportedly passed the phone to “Balondemu”—although, in hindsight, it’s likely he simply changed his voice or continued himself. The impersonation was convincing; I genuinely believed I was speaking to Balondemu. It’s possible they used AI to mimic his voice, as it was eerily identical (I’ll explain how I later discovered it was a lie).
The fake “Balondemu” launched into a detailed account of his legal case. He described the strategies he and his lawyer were using to apply for bail, elaborating on how they had legally cornered the prosecution. As a journalist covering his case, I took notes and later contacted the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for their side of the story.
Toward the end of the call, he said:
“You see Mr. Irumba, I’m in Luzira, and prison life isn’t easy. You need money for everything here. I had asked my P/A to send me some money, but his phone has been off for two days. I need a little upkeep to order special meals—I can’t manage posho and beans. If you have UGX 300,000 on your phone, please send it to this number. Afande will give it to me. I’ll refund it, don’t worry. On Tuesday, I’m coming to court for my bail application. Come early so we can talk more. I want to give you more details about the mafias fighting me—they’re targeting me because I refused to sign off railway land while I was KDLB Chairman. They even offered me billions to sign, but I refused.”
At the time, I was driving to my village near Mubende and only had UGX 100,000 on my phone. I told him I would send the rest later. He agreed, so I sent the UGX 100,000. I later forgot to send the remainder, and he never followed up.
On Friday, I went to court and approached Balondemu—not to demand a refund, but to follow up on the information he’d “promised.” After pleasantries, I asked for more evidence. He looked utterly confused.
I asked him directly, “You mean you didn’t speak to me on the phone from Luzira on Tuesday?”
He replied, “How could I? I don’t even know your number by heart. Besides, my phones were confiscated by investigators!”
I then mentioned the UGX 100,000 I sent to help him buy food. He was shocked and said it wasn’t him. He added that many of his friends and family had also reported being similarly scammed. He expressed regret that I had fallen victim too.
So how do they do it?
These prison wardens conduct extensive research on your case. They can recount legal details so convincingly that it feels like the accused person is speaking. They know who your lawyers are, what they’re filing in court, and even your court schedule. They gather this information from documents and conversations they overhear during supervised visits. Every document delivered to an inmate is first read by the wardens, allowing them to compile accurate background information.
Coming Up in Part 2:
I’ll explain how I almost got scammed again—this time by another prison warden pretending to be D/ASP Charles Twiine Mansio. My earlier experience with the Balondemu scam helped me spot the signs in time.
