By Obed Kankiriho
RUKIGA- Police in Rukiga district have arrested eight suspects for allegedly breaking into stores and stole construction materials to with cement and iron bars worth millions of shillings.
The Kigezi region police spokesperson Elly Maate, has identified the suspects as Moreen Nuwamanya a supervisor, resident of Mutambuka cell Kabale municipality, Beatrice Tushemerirwe resident of Muhanga town, in whose home store the cement was stolen and some exhibit recovered hidden, Ramadan Nuwamanya, resident of Muhanga township the illegal buyer and Amanyire Apollo a teacher, resident of Muhanga township, also illegal buyer, plus 4 casual laborers.
Maate says that the suspects stole materials of CGTSCC a Chinese company based in Uganda and currently constructing a transmission power line from Ntungamo to Karukara in Rubanda using the pylon towers (metallic poles) who had so far extended the lineup Bukinda in Rukiga district where they had also established a base and some materials had already been brought to start the construction.
It’s alleged that on 5/1/2023 at around 20:00hrs 146 bags of Hiima cement power plus and 80 iron bars steel and tube TMT500 for casting the foundation were stolen from the site as alleged by one Alex Nuwamanya a civil engineer of the entire company.
Maate adds that Nuwamanya claims that this was realized on 6/1/2023 when the sub-contractor one Kazibwe Ibrah found no materials in the store as he wanted to resume construction after the Christmas break.
Maate also said that from then a report was registered at Muhanga police station and investigations commenced.
According to Maate, it was also realized that the workers who were left to guard the site had abandoned it and moved away to unknow places and they were not picking their phones.
He stressed that the operation was immediately mounted by the district team and that’s when 13 bags of cement were recovered and exhibited accordingly.
He strongly condemns the act saying that such operations will continue to ensure that all those involved are brought to book as a deterrent measure to others who intend to do the same by sabotaging government programs which we shall not allow.
