Fake street beggar uncovered in Kampala

Police has uncovered another fake street beggar asking for cash in the city.

The suspect identified as Shafik Bakulu Mpagi was today arrested by Mini Price Police following a tip off from his close friend who saw him begging at the entrance of Mukwano Arcade with a faked amputated hand.

Police rushed at the scene and ordered him to remove the cloths he had covered his hand with and all the bypassers were shocked.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said Mpagi has been covering his hand with dirty rugs faking to be amputated in order to collect as much money as he can from the unsuspecting sympathisers.

“There are a number of people that pretend to be needy through begging on the streets just the same way as Mpagi has been doing therefore kind hearted and well meaning people are in danger of being misled,” Owoyesigyire said.

Mpagi revealed that he had been into the begging business for three months saying he was earning 20000 Uganda shillings everyday especially from areas of equatorial Mall and Mukwano Arcade and attributed this act to joblessness.

Mpagi a resident of Kisenyi, Muzana Zone is currently detained at Mini Price Police Station and charged with public nuisance vide SD 21/24/06/2018.

Police were responding to a spike in the number of fake beggars operating in the city.

However, Ugandans are very funny and confusing. Below are two comments by some these Ugs:

Julius Echengu says, “There are equally many people with no physical disability on the streets begging for money. So there is nothing wrong with his act!, he was merely making an advert. No laws were broken.”

Julius Mwesigye, “Instead of arresting the big corrupt thieves, you just run around arresting such a man? Unless there is another motive based on discreet information the police has, this one should just be given a community service punishment so he learns how to work.”