8 ARRESTED IN RUKIGA DISTRICT FOR THEFT OF POWER LINE MATERIALS

By Ambrose Kweronda
RUKIGA DISTRICT

Police in Rukiga district is holding eight suspects who allegedly broke into stores and stole construction materials including cement and iron bars worth millions of shillings,
The materials were e supposed to be used for a power transmission line from Ntungamo district through Rukiga to Karukara in Rubanda district.
The suspects have been identified as Moreen Nuwamanya, a supervisor resident of Mutambuka cell Kabale municipality, Beatrice Tushemerirwe resident of Muhanga township, in whose home the stolen cement was kept, Ramadan Nuwamanya, resident of Muhanga township the illegal buyer and Amanyire Apollo a teacher and resident of Muhanga township who is also an illegal buyer, plus 4 casual laborers.
Elly Maate the Kigezi Region police spokesperson told journalists that a Chinese company called CGTSCC, that is based in Uganda undertaking the construction of a transmission power line from Ntungamo to Karukara in Rubanda using pylons had also established a base and stocked some materials for the construction.

Maate said that on 5/1/2023 at around 08:00pm 146 bags of Hiima cement power plus,80 iron bars steel and tube TMT500 for casting the foundation were stolen from the site as alleged by Alex Nuwamanya a civil engineer of the company
Nuwamanya claims that this was realized on 6/1/2023 when the sub-contractor Kazibwe Ibrah found no materials in the store as he reported to resume work after the Christmas break.

That’s when a report was entered at Muhanga police station and investigations commenced.
Maate revealed that it was also realized that the workers who were left to guard the site had abandoned it and moved to unknow places and they were not picking their phones.
The operation was immediately mounted by the district team and that’s when 13 bags of cement were recovered and exhibited accordingly.
Maate says the 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 projects