A suspected electricity infrastructure vandal has been critically injured after suffering an electric shock while allegedly attempting to cut a live power line in Luwero District. The suspect, identified as Musisi Kwizera, was reportedly found unconscious at Tebalyala Village in Luwero Sub-county at around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Savannah Regional Police spokesperson Sam Twiineamazima said residents found Musisi lying unconscious near an electricity pole, with electric wires and a pair of pliers beside him. Twiineamazima said police responded to a report from the LC1 chairperson and found the suspect with suspected electrical burns on his arms.
Musisi was rushed to Luwero Hospital for treatment as police launched investigations into the suspected vandalism of electricity infrastructure. “About 100 metres of electric wire, a pair of pliers, a red Bajaj Boxer motorcycle without a registration number, and his smartphone were recovered at the scene,” Twiineamazima said.
Police also arrested Moses Sande, the injured man’s brother, who had followed him to the hospital, to assist with investigations. At the time of filing this story, Sande had reportedly declined to disclose their place of residence. However, residents identified him as one of the suspected vandals who had been on the run.
Adnan Muwada, the LC1 chairperson of Tebalyala Village, said Musisi was believed to have suffered an electric shock while attempting to cut a live power line before collapsing. Muwada added that the suspected vandals had allegedly left the area without electricity after tampering with the power infrastructure.
He further claimed that neither Musisi nor Sande was a resident of Tebalyala Village and alleged that they had entered the area to steal electricity wires. The Savannah Region has experienced persistent power outages in recent months, with the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) attributing some of the disruptions to increasing vandalism of power lines and other electricity infrastructure.
In July this year, police in Luwero recovered three rolls of electric wire during an operation at Mpande Village in Kalule Parish, Nyimbwa Sub-county. Acting on information provided by local leaders, police arrested Musa Mayembo, 20, and William Kiryowa.
Officers also impounded a Toyota Starlet, registration number UAF 413X, and a motorcycle, registration number UGC 852V, which were suspected of having been used to transport the stolen wires. Mayembo reportedly admitted that his home had been used as a collection point for stolen electricity wires before they were transported to Kampala for sale.
Investigators believe the recovered wires had been cut from electricity installations in several parts of the Savannah Region, including Luwero, Nakaseke and Nakasongola districts, before being transported to Kampala for sale. The government has since resolved to charge suspects involved in power line vandalism with terrorism-related offences.
In October this year, Ibrah Muwonge, alias Kimbowa Ibrah, was convicted by the High Court’s International Crimes Division on two counts of terrorism and one count of terrorism financing after entering into a plea bargain. Justice Dr Andrew Bashaija sentenced him to 10 years in prison for terrorism and five years for terrorism financing, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The conviction arose from a coordinated campaign in late 2022 in which electricity infrastructure in parts of Central Uganda was deliberately destroyed, disrupting power supplies and affecting essential services-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
