Irate residents block Isingiro road over cattle theft
Police lobbed tear gas at demonstrating residents of Kakamba in Isingiro district on Friday.
The irate residents protested rampant cattle theft in the area. They dumped carcasses, burnt tyres and blocked Kakamba-Kikagate road in Isingiro district.
Apparently, the incident was sparked off by the theft of four bulls. On Thursday night, four bulls were reportedly stolen from Matsiko’s Kraal by unknown people. This ungodly act infuriated residents. They gathered to vent out their anger.
The Kakamba Sub-county chief said three suspects had been arrested in connection with the crime. He said the suspects had been collaborating with some family members of the stolen cattle.
“We have arrested three people in connection with the theft and are in custody. Finally, we have been able to crack the stock theft syndicate,” said the sub-county chief. The suspects are at Kakamba police station waiting for arraignment in court.
According to police, cattle thieves use advanced methods to coordinate their illicit trade. Cattle stealing is embedded in the wider business of cattle trade.
The cattle thieves exploit weak coordination between security and the veterinary department. Thereafter, they steal with ease. However, residents believe some of these thieves are Kreptomaniacs.
In March 2021 police investigated their officers over alleged cattle theft. They were accused of conniving with cattle thieves to steal cattle from farmers.
The Drone Media established that the officers whose particulars have been concealed for anonymity were interrogated by senior Uganda Peoples Defense Forces-UPDF officials who had pitched camp in the Albertine region for two weeks.
The source further revealed that UPDF officers were deployed after several farmers complained against police officers for allegedly failing to arrest and produce them in court, some of the cattle thieves who are known to them. But Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson declined to comment on the matter saying he could not comment on an operation that was conducted by UPDF.