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No transporting animals in the dark, security declares
What you need to know:
Preliminary investigations into the livestock theft revealed that herdsmen on big farms reportedly collude with the thieves to steal animals as they graze.
Security authorities in Sembabule District have banned night movement of animals to check rampant theft.
On average, at least 100 animals, mostly cows, are stolen from different kraals in Sembabule District alone every month, which is blamed on unscrupulous cattle dealers from other districts.
Mr Caleb Tukaikiriza, the Sembabule Resident District Commissioner, said in an interview yesterday that all vehicles carrying livestock must only move between 7am and 6pm.
“If trucks carrying livestock have not left the district by 6pm, the drivers should park and wait to resume their respective journeys the following morning,” he said.
Mr Tukaikiriza, who chairs the district security committee, directed police to intensify both motorised and foot patrols on suspected routes that livestock thieves normally use.
“We have learnt that criminals have been using roads that are not gazetted to connect to Masaka and Kampala where they sell livestock,” he said.
Mr Tukaikiriza also rallied police and district veterinary departments to ensure that all animals transported are cleared by the veterinary office and that village leaders should endorse the letters where the animals originate.
“The veterinary officer should issue permits to animals only cleared by the gombolola internal security officer, chairperson LC3 and village leaders,” he said.
Mr David Ndawula, the Sembabule District police commander, said they have started mounting snap checks in different crime-prone locations and some people moving with livestock without documentation have been arrested.
“We are going to start impounding vehicles carrying livestock at night even if they have movement permits,” he said.
A couple of weeks ago, police in Sembabule burst a racket of suspected cattle thieves, arresting eight suspects.
Mr Twaha Kasirye, the southern regional police spokesman, said the suspects have been running a highly organised cattle theft racket, which raids kraals at night.
‘’Our investigations reveal that livestock dealers are the ones stealing the cows, goats and sheep from farms and bundling them into saloon cars,’’ he said.
Mr Kasirye added that during their operation, two saloon cars, which suspects have been using to transport the stolen livestock, were also impounded.
“The suspects have since been taken to Nkoma Village in Sembabule District to reconstruct the scene of crime. They confessed to have stolen the cows and also narrated how the animals were stolen from the kraals and transported to Masaka where they sold them,” he said, adding that the suspects will soon be arraigned in court to face charges of cattle theft. Preliminary investigations into the livestock theft also revealed that herdsmen on big farms reportedly collude with the thieves to steal animals as they graze.
“The herdsmen know movement of animals better than us. Some animal owners take long to check on the animals, giving room to the herdsmen to connive in theft acts,” Mr Samuel Bogere, a resident of Lugusulu, who has lost two cows to thieves, said.
