Betrayed abroad; ‘he bought Church land with my sweat’ how a ‘KADAAMA’ lost UGX 10.7M to the Pastor she trusted.

Pr. Benson Matovu 

BY PETER SSUUNA

A pastor wept openly in court after being found guilty of defrauding a former congregant of UGX 10.7 million money she sent home from Saudi Arabia to buy land, only to return and find nothing.

Benson Matovu, lead pastor of Ambassadors of Life Church International in Matugga, Mabanda, broke down at Nateete Lubaga Court in Mengo as Magistrate Adams Byarugaba convicted him of obtaining money by false pretenses.

The complainant, 32-year-old Cossey Namutebi of Kanyanya, told court she entrusted the pastor with over UGX 40 million while working as a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia between 2021 and 2024. She said she trusted him because he was her spiritual leader.

“I was sending him money to buy me land so I could build a small house when I returned,” Namutebi testified. “When I came back, he had no land to show me. When I asked for my money back, there was nothing.”

Instead, court heard, Pastor Matovu used the funds to purchase land for his church a permanent site for his congregation.

Investigating officer Ignatius Mwesigwa confirmed the money trail led to the pastor. When pressed for repayment, Matovu pleaded for time to refund Namutebi in installments, but never did.

Namutebi began remitting UGX 2 million monthly to the pastor from January 2022. After changing jobs, her new employers sent her entire 1.8 million monthly salary directly to him. She never touched the cash herself.

Pr. Benson Matovu

While she claimed the total exceeded UGX 40 million, court recorded only verified UGX 10.7 million through receipts. Some transactions lacked documentation because she left Saudi Arabia following a dispute with her employer.

Her aunt, Joyce Nannyoga, who represented her in court, said the betrayal left Namutebi traumatized. “Every time she thought about how the pastor, she trusted stole from her, she would break down,” Joyce said.

In his ruling, Magistrate Byarugaba said the case reflects a growing pattern of Ugandans abroad being defrauded by people they trust including religious leaders and romantic partners.

“People overseas must be extremely cautious about who they send money to,” he warned. “These schemes are run with a lot of cunning.”

Joyce Nannyoga, Namutebi's Aunt.

State Prosecutor Caroline Mpumwire noted that Matovu showed no remorse and wasted the court’s time. She asked for the maximum five-year sentence in prison and compensation, citing the years Namutebi spent toiling abroad.

The magistrate revoked Matovu’s bail and remanded him to Luzira Prison. He will return to court for sentencing on May 26, 2026.