By Moses Otim
Soroti, Uganda: Concerned residents of Soroti district and Teso region have asked the office of the President to immediately transfer the District Resident Commissioner of Soroti, Mr. Salim Komakech, for allegedly dealing with cattle thieves.
Mr. Komakech was spotted taking food to the high-profile cattle thief, Mr. Sam Emeku, while in police cells in Amuria district, something that disturbed the public.
Joseph Okirima, one of the residents in Amuria town, said he was shocked to see the RDC himself taking yogurt and chapati to the criminal who has been hindering the household income for many people.
According to the police report, Mr. Emeku is the ringleader of cattle thieves terrorizing Teso and Lango sub-regions.
Mr. Okirima said Emeku has survived death twice by mob justice, adding that the first incident was in Toroma where locals captured a taxi loaded with stolen animals and burnt the taxi to ashes.
The second incident that involved his arrest was after he was arrested with stolen animals loaded in a hired Land Cruiser in Amuria district.
Okirima wondered why an RDC who hails from Northern Uganda can get close to a person born in Asuret Soroti, well knowing that he’s a thief.
“He managed this time again to run, we wanted to burn the car but police intervened and later arrested him,” he explained.
Mr. Okirima said keeping such an RDC who supports criminals in the region increases the number of thefts in Teso.
Gladys Amuron, another resident, said these cattle thieves are heavily armed.
“One time toward Christmas, thieves we got loading animals in the bush at night around 12 a.m. in our village in Aukot Soroti, but two of them were armed. Where do they get those guns from?” she asked.
Efforts to get the side story from Mr. Komakech failed as he did not pick up our repeated calls.
