STELLA T
The rampant cases of theft in Buyanja Sub County, Rukungiri District, have raised concern among residents and local leaders.
Mwesigye Kenneth, a resident of Nyakaina Parish, Buyanja Sub County, and a farmer, says thieves target his plantation and cut his matoke. He added that during the coffee season, they resorted to harvesting raw coffee beans to counter thugs who steal their crops from the garden because of the rising demand.
Turinawe Sylvia, the area councillor for Nyakabungo and Kasheshe parishes in Buyanja Sub County, Rukungiri District, says that the cases of theft are going to trigger more incidents of mob justice because many people are frustrated.
She blames the rise in criminality on area youth and older people who spend most of their time gambling, drinking alcohol, and not working to earn money for survival, leading them to resort to stealing. She appeals to area security teams to step up patrols within the area as the festive season draws closer.
Speaking to our reporter, the Buyanja Sub County LCIII Chairperson, Agaba Emmy Rubodo, attributed the high cases of theft to the high poverty levels among the people in the sub county, who resort to stealing as an alternative source of survival.
He says records show that most cases include housebreaking, theft of domestic animals, food, and snatching personal property from night dwellers.
Rubodo added that several youths are redundant, which forces them to resort to crime for survival. He wants parents to be more responsible in safeguarding their children from drug abuse, adding that residents should keep a sharp eye on people in the area and report any suspicious individuals in their communities. He urged boda boda riders who lend their vehicles to suspicious people who use them to steal to drop the habit.
