By KT Reporter
The Police in Nakasongola are investigating the vandalism of electricity poles and wires that have left Kakooge town council in a power blackout.
According to Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson Sam Twineamazima, unknown thugs cut down the electric pole at Nakaseta village in Kakooge town at around 8 pm on Tuesday, leaving the area in a power blackout.
Twineamazima added that upon receiving the alert, the Officer In Charge of Kakooge Police rushed to the scene and found the thugs had escaped. He said the thugs, however, left behind electric wires which they had vandalized from the pole.
The officers have since commenced investigations to arrest the culprits.
“A case of Vandalism and malicious damage was registered at the station, and a canine was introduced to the scene but lost a scent around the water source. The officers also recorded statements from residents, and the scene was revisited by district security committee members while looking for a solution to deter any other Vandalism,” Twineamazima said in the statement.
Richard Ssemayaza, the LCIII Chairperson of Kakooge town council, said that due to vandalism, the town has been hit hard by vandalism causing enormous losses, especially to business persons.
“Several restaurants lost jerrycans of juice that they had prepared to sell after failing to preserve them due to a power blackout. Other businesses are incurring extra costs to buy fuel to run generators so that they continue to survive, but it is affecting us,” Ssemayaza said.
Ssemayaza appealed to the Police to slap criminal charges on the thugs behind the vandalism and malicious property damage.
The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited office, based in Wabigalo trading centre, has since embarked on replacing the poles and the wires to restore power in the area.
In December 2024, unknown people cut down two poles of high voltage power lines at Lubenge swamp near Kakooge town and stole wires of 600 meters valued at approximately twenty million shillings. Cases of vandalism are common in Savannah involving suspects from Kampala and Wakiso districts.
In November, Police in Luwero district also arrested three people for allegedly vandalizing electric wires from the poles at Kitasure village in Kikyusa sub-county.
The suspects caught by residents while cutting the wires were from Matugga town, Wakiso district. In June, Police in Nakaseke district arrested five men in connection with the vandalism and malicious damage to power wires and poles.
The suspects came from Wakiso district and Kampala city. According to UMEME, the sector lost over 26 billion Shillings in stolen copper wires, vandalized transformers, and poles, among others, in 2021.
Police have since mooted a plan to charge all suspected vandals with the Anti-Terrorism Act, a bid to curb the vi,ce which had grown rapidly-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
