The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nakasongola district leaders have resolved to form committees on each village to fight the rampant cattle thefts. According to district authorities, between 16 to 20 cows are stolen each day in Nakasongola and sold in Kampala city.
The thieves raid kraals and steal the cattle at night. The thieves slaughter the animals on farms and transport meat in taxis and private cars to evade arrest. On Wednesday this week, police shot two suspected cattle thieves while slaughtering four animals at Kyandyaga village in Kakooge sub county at night.
Sam Kigula, the LC 5 chairman of Nakasongola district says that theft of animals has plunged pastoralists into poverty. He says police has failed to end the thefts due to manpower problems. He says that to address the problem, they have resolved to form anti-cattle theft committees comprising seven vigilantes per village to patrol their village areas.
Kigula says that once the vigilantes cite and apprehend the thieves, they will alert the local police posts or District Police Commander for appropriate action.
The recruitment of vigilantes across 364 villages in Nakasongola is scheduled to begin shortly after the Easter season in the areas of Kalongo, Kalungi, Kakooge,Wabinyonyi, Nakitoma and Nabiswera sub-counties among others.
Robert Semuddu, the Kalongo sub-county LC V councillor says that his area has been affected greatly by cattle thefts leaving pastoralists in poverty. Semuddu has welcomed the proposed establishment of the anti-cattle theft committees.
Josephat Banyezaaki, a pastoralist in Kalongo sub county says he has personally lost over 10 heads of cattle and efforts to trace them have not yielded results. Banyezaaki has also welcomed the establishment of the anti-cattle theft committees.
He is however skeptical that they will stop the crime if police don’t work closely with them. Patience Namara, the Nakasongola District Police Commander says that they are willing to work with the anti-cattle theft committees so long as they volunteer information on time and operate within the laws.
There are over 269,000 heads of cattle in Nakasongola, according to the district veterinary office.
*****
URN
