Locals live in fear over rising home break-ins

Some of the residents have since opted to relocate while others now demand protection.

Ms Harriet Akisa, a resident of Water Village, said police should intervene because the increasing cases of robberies have elicited fear among the residents.

She said they are bothered by the fact that so many robbery cases are reported but no suspect has ever been arrested.

Mr John Opolot, another resident, blamed the rampant cases on unregulated presence of discos, cinema halls and bars which operate trans-night.

“Most of the criminals are sheltering themselves in discos, cinemas and bars at night and during day, they steal people’s property when they have left their homes for work,” Mr Opolot said.

He said the municipal leaders should also arrest idle youth who have turned Children’s Lion’s Club ground into their home.

“We find most of them doing nothing but smoking drugs and hatching plans of how to robber people’s home. They do not want to work,” Mr Opolot added.
Alex Mukakanya, a presenter of a sports programme at a local radio station, said he recently narrowly survived death after two men surrounded him along Airport Avenue and hit him with an Iron bar before subjecting him to a thorough search.

The District Police commander, Mr John Rutagira, acknowledged that there have been numerous cases reported but said the criminals have always avoided arrest by changing their locations.

Attempts
He said in one of the robbery incidents, they managed to arrest an LC1 chairperson of Agururu A2 after a police dog led the police investigators to the houses of his two sons.

The mayor of Tororo Municipality, Mr John Opio, said they have launched an initiative of resettling children living on the streets after it was discovered that some of them are used by the criminals to steal and spy.
He, however, added that they are working to tighten security.

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