Over 350 Ugandans have come forward claiming they were defrauded by Christian Asiimwe, widely known as Don Chris, in a massive overseas job scam. Operating under the guise of Skypins Tours and Travel—a recruitment agency based in Ntinda, Kampala—Asiimwe allegedly lured job seekers with promises of employment in Canada and the UK, resulting in financial losses now totaling Shs 1.4 billion. This figure has more than doubled from earlier estimates of Shs 600 million.
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Initially, Kampala Metropolitan Police reported about 80 cases, but that number quickly climbed to over 350, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). MIA spokesperson Simon Peter Mundeyi confirmed that hundreds of victims have reported to their offices, describing the scam as one of the largest in recent memory involving external job placements.
The issue gained national attention after the Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, raised the alarm and called for a criminal investigation into the company’s operations.
While many recruitment scams collapse under scrutiny, Skypins Tours and Travel appeared to operate with some legitimacy—even facilitating job placements for a few individuals in the Netherlands. This limited success provided a false sense of credibility that helped attract a larger pool of hopeful clients.
Authorities now believe the business may have started with genuine intentions but later devolved into fraudulent activity. Don Chris, who left Uganda through the Malaba border on June 20, 2025, has been urged by officials to return and explain his side, with police acknowledging that visa challenges in external labor markets are not uncommon.
Adding a twist to the saga, Don Chris has claimed in social media interviews that he was merely a front for a more complex web of influencers—alleging involvement of figures within law enforcement and the ruling party.
The case illustrates not only the vulnerability of job-seeking youth to fraudulent recruitment schemes but also the blurred lines between legitimacy and exploitation in Uganda’s labor export industry.
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