Police in Busoga East have arrested three individuals for allegedly vandalizing electricity power lines in Musita village, Mpungwe sub-county, Mayuge District. The suspects, Asuman Egesa, Kalifani Ntalo, and William Balidawa, were apprehended on Monday and are currently held at Mayuge Central Police Station awaiting prosecution.
Local residents expressed concerns about the impact of power line vandalism on business operations, leading to frequent power outages. Some suggested collaboration between UMEME (electricity distribution company), police, and village chairpersons to enhance patrols in high-risk areas to prevent further vandalism.
Traders accused a faction of metal smelters, involved in crafting metallic items like saucepans and knives, of colluding with local leaders to vandalize electric wires for raw materials. The wires, they claimed, serve as raw materials for the smelters’ industry, with surplus sold to factories as scrap. Calls were made for the implementation of interconnected power lines with surveillance systems to detect suspected vandals easily.
The Busoga East regional police spokesperson, Diana Nandawula, stated that the suspects face charges of vandalism and theft of government property. The arrests were made based on a tipoff from neighboring residents who observed the suspects in the act of vandalizing electricity wires.
