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Nakasongola loses 400 animals to thieves in last four months
A child grazes cattle in Butungama Sub-county, Ntoroko District, in December last year. PHOTO / ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- District officials say the theft is rampant in Wabinyonyi, Nabiswera, Lwampanga, and Nakitoma sub-counties, among other areas.
Authorities in Nakasongola District are battling a new wave of livestock theft that has seen more than 400 animals reportedly stolen between last November and February this year.
District officials say the theft is rampant in Wabinyonyi, Nabiswera, Lwampanga, and Nakitoma sub-counties, among other areas.
They claim the thieves take advantage of the absence of motorised police patrols to steal the animals.
“We are helpless when several of the suspected theft cases are reported to the police for tracking. The district police lack a van to respond to the intelligence briefs on the suspected cattle theft,” Mr Sam Kigula, the district chairperson, said on Monday.
“Cattle thieves know that the police don’t have a patrol van to chase them in cases where the victims make quick communication. We recently intercepted 16 cows at Wankulukuku in Kampala that had been stolen from Nakasongola. More than 80 animals have also been stolen in less than three months in Nabiswera, ” he added.
More than 65 goats and about 70 head of cattle have been stolen at Nakitoma.
Residents concur with the leaders that there are still security gaps in police operations.
“We have in the recent past failed to get police to help on time whenever we make phone calls. The police arrive late when the suspects have moved. The thieves have vehicles yet the police are on foot and use motorcycles,” Mr Samuel Ssendagire, a resident of Nakitoma, who lost four head of cattle, said.
A total of 254 cows and 185 goats have also been stolen in the district since January.
The district police commander, Mr Philip Mukasa, acknowledged that the lack of a police truck has partly failed operations against the theft racket.
“It is now five months since the police vehicle got involved in an accident. Lack of a police car has frustrated the quick response to intelligence briefs. We register an average of 15 animal theft cases every week, but we have in many instances failed to make a quick response,” he said. Mr Timothy Halango, the police’s deputy director of planning, research and development, said manpower gaps are still a challenge even in other parts of the country, but they would soon recruit more personnel.
The force has 51,000 personnel yet the appropriate number should be at least 81, 000, according to Mr Halango.
“The vehicle problem will be addressed within the next two weeks to ensure that the police do not get incapacitated by lack of transport to quickly respond to emergence cases. We also advise the mobilisation of resources to build a kennel for the police dog,” he said.
Cases in Nakaseke
Last year, security authorities in Nakaseke District vowed to enforce a ban on night movement of animals to reduce theft of livestock. However, this has not been enforced.
On average, 15 animals are stolen from the district every week, which authorities blame on unscrupulous cattle dealers from Kampala.
