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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Directorate of Crime Intelligence-DCI is probing several restaurants, butchers, and hotels in Kampala that have been facilitating livestock theft by providing a ready market.
The decision to probe the implicated restaurants, butcheries, and hotels stems from the arrest of three suspects believed to be part of the group that has been stealing cattle in the central region. The suspects are Deo Seidi, Francis Kimera, and another only identified as Ivan.
The trio according to DCI, has been involved in the theft of cattle in Kyankwanzi, Hoima, Mpigi, and Mityana districts. The suspects have since provided a list of more than 20 butcheries, restaurants, and hotels where they have been selling their meat at a fairly cheaper price compared to known abattoirs.
The arrest of the suspects followed a directive by President Yoweri Museveni to the Inspector General of Police, Martin Ochola to reinstate checkpoints and roadblocks during the festive season following the soaring night crime as well road crashes. Seidi, according to the DCI was the first person to be arrested on December 23rd, 2022 based on intelligence. He later led security to arrest his peer, Kimera and Ivan.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson says that the trio had a base in Katwe from where they would slaughter stolen cows and supply beef to their customers. Onyango said the group had conducted back-to-back cattle thefts where they stole cattle on December 4, 7, 9, and 23.
DCI has since established that the suspects now detained at Katwe police station have pending robbery and theft cases at Busunju, Kyankwanzi, and Jeza police stations.
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