Masindi Town’s dark streets spark fear, hurt business

Residents of Masindi Municipality have said the town’s inadequate street lighting poses a threat to their safety.

They noted that the darkened streets are becoming breeding grounds for crime and accidents, and urged local officials to take immediate action.

The issue is more pronounced in the town centre as well as Kamunyonga, Kijungu, and Kisengya cells, where residents said they no longer feel safe when walking home after sunset.

Ms Hajara Nabiruma , a resident of Kamunyonga, said many people are terrified to walk home in the dark, fearing potential robberies and harassment.

She said the absence of proper lighting affects residents’ sense of security and negatively impacts local businesses at night. 

Shopkeepers and restaurant owners report a decline in evening customers as many people hesitate to venture out after dark.

“It’s not just a matter of safety; it’s about our livelihoods. If people are afraid to come out at night, our sales suffer,” Mr Samuel Nuwagaba, who sells foodstuffs in Kijura, said.

Mr John Tumusiime, a boda boda rider in the town centre, said: "It’s very risky for us boda boda riders, without streetlights, you can barely see anything on some roads, and you have to rely on the dim headlights of the motorcycle to navigate. It becomes even more dangerous in areas like Kamunyonga and Kijungu, where thieves can hide in the shadows.”

“We have had cases where boda boda riders get ambushed, and some have lost their bikes and money. This issue is affecting our business because people are also scared to call us at night,” he added.

Mr James Byaruhanga, another boda boda rider, added that the absence of street lighting makes it difficult to identify potential customers and leaves them vulnerable to attacks.

"Sometimes, you think someone is waving you down for a ride, but you can’t even tell who it is until you get very close. This makes it easy for thieves to trick us. I have friends who were robbed, and it's heart-breaking because this is our only livelihood," he explains.

He said the authorities need to address this issue urgently. The local leaders acknowledged the issue of darkness in the town but cited budget constraints.

Mr Jackson Mboneraho, the municipality secretary for finance, explained that they did not budget for street lighting this year, as it is centrally planned through government programmes such as the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) and the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Project (MATIP).

The Masindi Municipality Central Division Chairperson, Mr Isaac Bongomin, stated that the division has only budgeted for two solar streetlights, costing Shs18 million.

“This is far from sufficient to meet the needs of our residents. We need to seriously consider budgeting for more solar lights. Solar lights are an effective way to illuminate our streets without relying solely on the national power grid. We have a lot of sunny days in Uganda, and we should utilise this resource to improve our safety,” he said.

Mr Musa Kabalega, the LC1 chairperson of Kijungu Cell, said in his area, the situation is worse and needs urgent attention.

“People walking in darkness is not good at all, thieves are taking advantage to rob people's property. We also need CCTV cameras to boost the security of the area,” he said.

In July, Masindi Deputy RDC Sason Dhaala expressed concern over the rising wave of crime in the area where iron bar wielding thugs were targeting traders and residents in the evening hours.

Shops in Masindi Town were being closed earlier than usual while hotels and restaurants were complaining about the low customer turnout.

Heightened risks

It’s very risky for us boda boda riders, without streetlights, you can barely see anything on some roads, and you have to rely on the dim headlights of the motorcycle to navigate. It becomes even more dangerous in areas like Kamunyonga and Kijungu, where thieves can hide in the shadows– John Tumusiime, boda boda rider in the town centre.