Kampala Metropolitan Police have intensified a manhunt for Christian Asiimwe, widely known as Don Chris, the flamboyant head of Skypins Tours and Travel, following revelations of a massive overseas job scam that has reportedly swindled Ugandans of more than Shs 500 million.
The scam, orchestrated through Skypins’ job placement scheme, is said to have targeted Ugandans desperate to work abroad.
The company, which began operations in 2022, aggressively advertised employment opportunities in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Qatar, Dubai, and Luxembourg, using mainstream media and platforms like TikTok to attract job seekers.
According to SSP Patrick Onyango, the spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police, over 100 victims have already come forward and recorded formal statements.
“The victims were promised to travel on loan after depositing half of the full payment (s) according to different contracts for different jobs in different countries like Canada, United Kingdom, Qatar, Dubai, Luxembourg, among others,” Onyango stated.
Victims say they were lured into paying initial deposits ranging between Shs 3.5 million and Shs 10 million, after being told they could travel “on loan.” While they were issued official-looking receipts and promised departure within two to six months, none of them ever traveled. Instead, those who followed up were reportedly met with threats and harassment, further deepening the sense of betrayal.
Most of the fraudulent transactions took place between 2023 and 2024 at Skypins’ then-office in Haruna Mall, Ntinda, before the firm quietly relocated to Kitende along Entebbe Road, according to Onyango.
“The transactions took place primarily between 2023 and 2024,” SSP Onyango added. “Most occurred at Skypins’ office in Ntinda, Haruna Mall, before the company relocated to Kitende, along Entebbe Road.”
A significant development in the case emerged when the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development distanced itself from the company, confirming that Skypins is not licensed to conduct external labour recruitment in Uganda.
Public outcry eventually reached the attention of Hon. Balaam Barugahara, the Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, who swiftly intervened and escalated the issue to the police.
“The victims approached the Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Hon Balaam Barugahara, for intervention, who later forwarded the victims to CID Commander KMP for action. On June 17, 2025, a general inquiry file was opened and investigations commenced,” Onyango said.
The General Inquiry File (GIF) opened on June 17, 2025, marked the beginning of formal investigations, which police now say are in their advanced stages.
“We are appealing to more victims to report to the CID Commander, Kampala Metropolitan Police,” SSP Onyango added.