Ex-MP aspirant Ojera remanded over defrauding sh17m from businesswoman

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Former Kilak North parliamentary aspirant Christopher Ojera has been arrested and remanded to prison over allegations of obtaining shillings 17.1 million by false pretences from a businesswoman.

Ojera was apprehended on March 1, 2026, in Kamdini town council in Oyam district after months of being on the run and was later transferred to Gulu Central Police Station (CPS), where a formal case was registered against him.

The alleged scam

Complainant Monica Giriza, the proprietor of Karibu Eldoret Restaurant in Kamdini town council, Oyam, accuses Ojera of using the names of powerful military figures: Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) chief co-ordinator Salim Saleh and his principal advisor on OWC Philip Idro, to secure money under the guise of awarding her a lucrative government catering contract.

According to Giriza, Ojera approached her in April 2025, praising her restaurant and inquiring whether she could cater for 650 participants at a high-profile meeting allegedly organised by Gen. Saleh.

The meeting, she was told, would bring together elders from Acholi, Teso, Lango, Karamoja, and West Nile and would be held on June 4, 2025, at the Presidential Skilling Hub in Gulu district.

Ojera reportedly presented her with a letter promising payment of shillings 134 million for providing meals, including breakfast, tea breaks, lunch, dinner, bull roasting and refreshments — over four days.

Advance payment demands

Giriza says events took a suspicious turn on May 31, 2025, when Ojera requested an advance of shillings 18 million, claiming the organising committee required the funds to guarantee her contract.

Struggling to raise the amount, she first delivered shillings 7.6 million at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in Gulu.

Although Ojera was absent, he allegedly instructed her via phone to leave the money with a woman identified as Florence.

Days later, she was introduced to Idro during what appeared to be a chance roadside encounter, reinforcing her confidence in the deal.

Soon after, Ojera demanded the balance. Giriza withdrew shillings five million from her bank account, borrowed two million from her savings group, and added two million from home savings, totalling 9.5 million, which she allegedly handed over to Ojera.

He reportedly insisted on depositing the money himself into a consolidated account.

Instead, investigations later revealed he transferred at least five million to his personal mobile money account.

Preparations for a meeting that never was

On June 3, a day before the scheduled meeting, Giriza sought clarification on the breakfast menu.

Ojera advised her to prepare ripe bananas and eggs. She went ahead and purchased food supplies worth shillings 3.7 million, including bananas, matoke and beans. However, on June 4, the supposed event day, Ojera became unreachable.

Realising she had been deceived, Giriza reported the matter to Gulu CPS.

Police interrogation and broken promises

When summoned by Police, Ojera initially denied receiving any money but later admitted borrowing shillings two million for school fees.

However, investigators confronted him with mobile money statements, photographs, and recorded communications linking him to the transaction.

At that point, sources say, Ojera broke down and pleaded for the matter not to be escalated, fearing damage to his political ambitions as he was then seeking the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party flag for Kilak North.

He reportedly promised to refund the money in instalments — shillings five million on July 2, another five million on July 10, and the balance by July 15, 2025. He was released on Police bond.

But he allegedly went into hiding and failed to refund a single shilling.

Months on the run

From July 2025 to March 2026, Giriza and local authorities searched for him. All phonecalls remained unanswered.

Local vendors in Kamdini, Kigumba, and Bweyale were reportedly alerted to watch out for him.

On March 1, 2026, a water vendor in Karuma spotted Ojera alighting from a commuter taxi travelling from Kampala to Gulu and quickly alerted Giriza and the Police.

Officers at the Kamdini checkpoint intercepted the vehicle. Ojera reportedly stepped out without resistance and was immediately taken into custody before being transferred to Gulu CPS.

Court proceedings

On March 4, 2026, Ojera was presented before the Gulu Chief Magistrate’s Court for mention of his case.

However, Chief Magistrate Agustine Alule Koma was away officiating at the installation of new members of the Gulu City Service Commission.

The court directed that Ojera be remanded to Gulu Prison and returned on Thursday, March 5, 2026, for further proceedings.

His lawyer appeared in court with sureties and is expected to formally apply for bail.

Political background

Ojera is widely known in Amuru district politics. He contested for the Kilak North parliamentary seat in 2021 but was defeated by Anthony Akol, who at the time ran on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket.

In the 2025 NRM primaries, Ojera again sought the party flag but lost to the incumbent MP, who had since crossed from FDC to NRM.