Masindi residents decry rampant insecurity in the district
He also noted that animal theft has also significantly reduced, especially in Kijunjubwa Sub County, where it used to be so rampant.
Masindi: Residents of Masindi district have decried the increasing insecurity in the district that has seen many people lose their property at the hands of criminals.
This was during a stakeholders’ meeting on service delivery organized by the minister of state in charge of youth and children’s affairs, Balaam Barugahara, at the Albert Hotel in Masindi town over the weekend.
The residents singled out sugarcane poaching, animal theft, and housebreaking as the commonest crimes that they said are hindering development in the district.
Japher Kyoomya, a resident of the Kyema cell in Karujubu Division, stressed that bar-hit men killed his brother, the suspect was released, and he is threatening them.
Kanaginagi Ateenyi Rutindo, a resident of Bokwe Village in Labbongo Sub County, says that thieves have gone ahead to steal cattle and slaughter along the roadsides.
He asked the district security team to beef up since they are on the verge of losing the little they have to thieves.
Christopher Acidri, the district councillor representing Nyantonzi subcounty, asked the security to investigate and ensure that the stolen computers of Budongo Seed Secondary School were recovered.
He also asked the government to consider increasing manpower at their police post to increase security.
Betty Kyomuhendo, the deputy mayor for Masindi municipality, stressed that increased theft is hampering government programs, mostly PDM and Emyooga. She stressed that in most cases, police request fuel to arrest suspected thieves, and some suspects are released on police bond.
Joshua Amanyire, the former mayor of Masindi Municipality, said that some theft cases are attributed to residents since they don’t register newcomers with the area chairpersons.
This prompted Minister Balaam to task the Resident District Commissioner, Emmy Ngabirano, to explain the measures they have put in place to curb the insecurity in the district.
In response, RDC Ngabirano revealed that cases of sugarcane poaching have slightly reduced in the district ever since they mounted an operation to arrest the thieves.
He also noted that animal theft has also significantly reduced, especially in Kijunjubwa Sub County, where it used to be so rampant.
Ngabirano accordingly asked the community members to always report crimes to LC1 leaders and police so that the culprits could be arrested.
‘’We arrested five staff of Budongo Seed SS, and they include the security guard, two ICT teachers, and the other two teachers who handed over the keys were remanded to Masindi Prisons,’’ Ngabirano noted.
Speaking during the same meeting, Major Tom Magambo, the director of CID, said that the Uganda police force will deploy at least 18 police officers at each police post and provide patrol vehicles and a motorcycle to enable them to conduct night patrols to fight crimes in the communities.
He therefore urged the community members to cooperate with the police in order to have crime-free communities.
The meeting was attended by, among other dignitaries, the Minister for Public Service, Wilson Muruli Mukasa, and his junior minister, Grace Mary Mugasa; the State Minister for Health, Margaret Muhanga; Members of Parliament; the local council; and religious leaders from the district.
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