Nile Breweries Limited, one of Uganda’s leading beverage manufacturers, has filed a high-profile fraud suit in the Commercial Division of the High Court against businessman Bobkins Kibirige, his company Kibo Media Limited, and two former South Sudanese senior employees over what it terms as a “massive procurement fraud” totaling UGX 8.9 billion.

According to court documents filed under Civil Suit No. HCT-00-CC-CS-0738-2025, the brewing giant accuses the defendants of running a deliberate and fraudulent scheme between 2021 and 2024, in which Kibo Media allegedly received payments for advertising and marketing services that were either never delivered or were grossly inflated beyond contractual obligations.

A Brewing Scandal

Nile Breweries, through its lawyers Meritas Advocates, claims that it was induced to enter into multiple contracts with Kibo Media following a recommendation by FUFA (Federation of Uganda Football Associations), in the context of promoting the Uganda Cranes football team. These agreements were supposed to cover specific marketing deliverables including FUFA campaigns, FIFA World Cup activations, and even a Sheebah Karungi concert sponsorship.

In total, Nile Breweries entered into five contracts worth UGX 2.8 billion, but says it ended up paying out nearly UGX 11.8 billion, resulting in an alleged UGX 8.9 billion loss due to services that were either not performed or never contracted in the first place.

Who is Being Sued?

The defendants in the case include Kibo Media Limited, a company incorporated in Uganda that is alleged to have been the primary recipient of the disputed payments. Its Managing Director and majority shareholder, Bobkins Kibirige, is accused of fabricating invoices and falsely claiming that Kibo Media had executed marketing activities on behalf of Nile Breweries. Also named in the suit are Majok Darwin Jervase Majok and Amou Jervas Majok Matim Majok, both South Sudanese nationals and former senior employees of Nile Breweries. Majok Darwin previously served as Head of Trade Marketing, while Amou Jervas held the role of Key Accounts Manager. The two, who are described in the court filings as siblings, allegedly exploited their senior positions within the company to manipulate its procurement system—Aerchain—by generating fraudulent Purchase Orders and Goods Received Notes (GRNs), thereby facilitating the diversion of funds to Kibo Media under the guise of legitimate marketing services.

Details of the Alleged Fraud

Between 2021 and 2024, Nile Breweries claims it issued 92 purchase orders to Kibo Media totaling over UGX 16.2 billion. However, a subsequent internal audit revealed that many of these purchase orders had no supporting GRNs, or were approved by the two former employees outside agreed contracts.

Of particular concern to Nile Breweries were 27 purchase orders worth over UGX 4 billion that had no GRNs at all and 55 others—amounting to over UGX 10.7 billion—which were processed with falsified documentation.

In December 2024, Nile Breweries halted further transactions and demanded proof of service execution. The documents submitted by Kibo Media, according to the suit, were deemed “immensely distressing and vexing.”

Internal Conspiracy?

The suit further describes a tightly coordinated internal racket, accusing Majok Darwin and Amou Jervas of prioritizing Kibo Media while neglecting other suppliers, violating procurement protocols, and inflating department budgets to accommodate fictitious services. Bobkins Kibirige is said to have generated EFRIS invoices, submitted falsified execution documents, and even engaged in Zoom calls to mislead the brewery’s officials.

The plaintiff claims this fraudulent operation not only caused financial harm but also amounted to breach of employment contracts, negligence, statutory duty violations, and deceit.

What Nile Breweries Wants

In its suit, Nile Breweries is seeking to recover a total of UGX 8,928,452,225 in special damages, representing the money it claims was paid out for services that were never rendered. The company is also demanding an award of general, aggravated, and exemplary damages, arguing that the actions of the defendants were not only fraudulent but executed with blatant disregard for professional and ethical standards. In addition, Nile Breweries is asking the court to grant interest on the sums claimed, as well as an order for the full legal costs incurred in prosecuting the case.

Beyond these financial claims, Nile Breweries further accuses the defendants of unjust enrichment, conspiracy to defraud, and causing financial loss by unlawful means, all of which the company says form the basis of a sustained and deliberate scheme to siphon funds under the guise of legitimate procurement.

Next Steps

The High Court issued a Summons to File Defence on 23 June 2025, giving the defendants 15 days to respond. Should they fail to file a defence, judgment may be entered in their absence.

The case has already attracted attention in corporate and legal circles, not only because of the high-value claims involved, but also due to the multinational nature of the players implicated—including the two South Sudanese nationals who held influential roles at the brewery.

The case will test the strength of internal controls at large corporations and how they manage third-party relationships in high-visibility campaigns like national football sponsorships.

This is a developing story. The CEO East Africa Magazine will continue to follow the court proceedings and publish updates as they unfold.