Hoima city Police say stuck with 12 stolen cattle
According to the Police, the 11 animals were discovered roaming on the streets of Hoima after the suspects abandoned them and disappeared in a suspected botched cattle theft.
Some of the recovered animals at Hoima Central police station on Sunday. (Credit: Wilson Asiimwe)
By Wilson Asiimwe
Journalists @New Vision
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HOIMA - Police in Hoima city say they are pursuing a group of suspects believed to have abandoned stolen cattle in the city in the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to the Police, the 11 animals were discovered roaming on the streets of Hoima after the suspects abandoned them and disappeared in a suspected botched cattle theft.
Albertine region Police spokesperson Julius Hakiza on Sunday, August 17, 2025, confirmed the recovery of the cows, noting that a police team responded to a tip-off from residents who spotted the animals moving around town.
Albertine regional police spokesperson Allan Hakiza addressing the media on Sunday-Wilson Asiimwe. (Credit: Wilson Asiimwe)
Hakiza said they currently have 12 animals, including one cow, which was also abandoned by the thieves in Hoima city on Thursday, August 14, evening.
“Preliminary investigations suggest the animals were from Kakumiro district and were likely being transported to the Hoima City abattoir for slaughter before sunrise,” Hakiza said.
He said that the Police in the Albertine Region, working with local leaders, are reducing the cases of animal thefts, which have been on the rise.
He appealed to all those who want to claim the animals from the Police to go with proper proof indicating that they lost their cows, reported to the Police and have proper documentation.
“We cannot release the cows to people who are trying to claim them. We have to carry out proper investigations with the market leaders and veterinary officials from Kakamiro district, where some of the claimants allege to have bought the cows,” Hakiza said.
In June, the Police flying squad in the Albertine region arrested three suspected cattle thieves in Hoima district. The suspects were arrested in Butema village, Buhanika sub-county, Hoima district.
Hakiza said after stealing the animals, the thieves conspired with their counterparts in the districts of Wakiso, Mukono, Gulu, Nakasongola, Kampala and Masaka, where the stolen animals are transported and sold.
Some of the recovered cows were then stolen from Nakaseke, Kyankwanzi and Nakasongola districts and transported to Hoima City.