Two Centenary Bank staff members have walked free after paying back money that had been reported stolen from a client’s account.
Barnabas Ssekasi, the 40-year-old manager of the Mapeera House branch in Kampala, and 37-year-old teller Sylvia Namuwawu, had been facing criminal charges of theft. They appeared before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi, where they denied the accusations.
The case was based on claims that the two, together with others who have not been caught, took 10.3 million shillings from the account of Maldes Advocates on June 10, 2025. The law firm, through lawyer Bernard Mutyaba, reported the matter to police, leading to the arrest and prosecution of the bank employees.
However, the situation changed when Centenary Bank stepped in. The bank refunded the disputed amount and even added extra money to cover the legal costs faced by the complainants. In total, 12 million shillings was paid, according to an agreement signed on September 17, 2025, between the bank and the law firm.
When this settlement was presented in court, state attorney Allan Muchuguzi told the magistrate that the complainants were no longer interested in pushing the case forward. Magistrate Kayizzi confirmed the withdrawal of the case and discharged the accused employees, saying they were free unless held on other matters.
The agreement cleared all claims against the two workers, and the case was officially removed from the court roll.
This outcome shows how Centenary Bank took responsibility by compensating the client. The decision allowed its employees to avoid a possible long trial and prison sentence, while also protecting the bank’s relationship with its customers.
