Traders Count Losses as Highway Thugs Target Arua-Nebbi Road

(Arua) – Police in Arua have launched a campaign to curb criminal activities on the Kampala-Arua-Nebbi highway, after a rise in complaints from the public regarding theft on the road. Criminals have been taking advantage of pothole ridden sections, particularly around Bondo and Kuluva, to slow down vehicles and steal goods from buses and trucks.

Many of the victims have been traders and bus passengers. Vincent Anjiku, a businessman in Arua, has been affected twice, losing goods worth UGX 14 million in separate incidents. He reported losing shoes, bags, and football jerseys from a California bus, with the first incident costing him UGX 6 million and the second UGX 8 million. He appealed for help in recovering his stolen merchandise.

California Bus Services has also suffered significant losses. According to the company’s owner, Severino Embati, thieves have broken into their buses twice, stealing goods worth UGX 58 million. The goods belonged to their passengers, and Embati expressed hope that the stolen items would be recovered and returned to their rightful owners.

Similarly, YY Coaches manager, Ismail Juma, reported that although the thugs have not successfully broken into their buses, one of their truck turn boys was injured while attempting to remove a stone placed by the criminals along Enzeva, another known crime spot on the same route. Juma called on the government to repair the highway, as the criminals exploit the poor condition of the road to carry out their thefts.

Authorities have made some progress in addressing the situation. West Nile Police Commander Denis Ochama confirmed the arrest of one suspect involved in the thefts. The arrested individual led the police to a storage location where several stolen items were recovered. The recovered goods have been identified by their owners, and the police are following leads on other members of the criminal network.

Ochama, however, expressed frustration with the lack of cooperation from local leaders. He revealed that despite efforts to involve them in identifying suspects, local leaders have been reluctant to share information. Some leaders claimed the criminals had left the area after selling their homes, but the police found evidence suggesting otherwise.

The traders, bus owners, and passengers affected by these criminal activities have urged the government to take action, particularly by repairing the damaged highway. They believe that fixing the road would greatly reduce the opportunities for criminals to target vehicles in transit.