RUKIGA, UGANDA – Police in Rukiga District have intercepted and arrested three individuals, long known to locals as serial thieves from Kaharo Sub-County in the neighboring Kabale District, and recovered five stolen cows.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The arrest has sparked a wave of relief and cautious optimism throughout the community, which has endured a long-standing pattern of theft and felt increasingly frustrated by a judicial process that repeatedly saw the suspects arrested for similar offenses only to be released without consequence.
The individuals now in custody are Akanyijuka Benson, aged 19, a resident of Bushura Cell, Nkumbura Parish; Akangwanirira Ezra, aged 25, from Ryarushami Cell, Bugarama Parish, both in Kaharo Sub-County; and Ndamira Damus, aged 28, a resident of Nyakanengo Cell, Muhanga Central Ward in Muhanga Town Council.
The three were apprehended at around midnight on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, while they were in possession of cattle belonging to Robert Rumanzi, a 69-year-old resident of Hamumba Cell, Bugarama Parish, Kaharo Sub-County.
Speaking to our reporter, Rumanzi explained that he discovered his cows were missing upon returning home in the morning from his night shift as a watchman at Nkumbura Primary School.
He immediately alerted his neighbor, Barebaki Nelson, a cattle trader, who then acted as a whistleblower by mobilizing fellow residents to track the animals’ whereabouts, leading to the police interception in Muhanga.
Both Rumanzi and Barebaki confirmed that the suspects are well-known serial thieves in the area, expressing frustration that the individuals have been arrested on multiple occasions only to be released inexplicably.
This sentiment was echoed by the Nkumbura LCIII Chairperson, Tumwesigye Edmond Watson, who confirmed in a phone interview that the men in custody have a notorious reputation for stealing people’s property.
Chairperson Watson stated that he has consistently reported their activities to his superiors, including the former Kabale RDC Godfrey Nyakahuma and the current RDC, but no lasting action has been taken.
He lamented that the suspects’ repeated unlawful releases recently prompted a meeting of residents from over a dozen villages who collectively sought a way to remove the individuals from the area.
The Rukiga district DPC Musinguzi Moses Karakire confirmed the arrest of the suspects who are currently detained at Muhanga Police post waiting their transfer to Kabale Police in the district where the crime was committed from.
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