Suspected water meter thief arrested in Kawanda

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Police at Kawanda Station have arrested a youth suspected of routinely stealing water meters from homes and selling them to scrap dealers.

The suspect, 19-year-old Musa Asingwire, a resident of Kirinyabigo village, Kawanda in Nabweru Division, was arrested after allegedly being caught stealing a water meter from a home whose owners, identified as the Bagooza family, had been guarding their property overnight to prevent theft.

According to residents, the Bagooza family was on watch when Asingwire arrived, removed the meter, and placed it in a cage. He was apprehended shortly after and handed over to the police.

Officers then proceeded to his residence, where they discovered several stolen water meters—eight in total. When questioned, Asingwire confessed to stealing the meters and said he sells them to scrap dealers for sh2,000 per kilogram.

Following the arrest, multiple residents who had lost their water meters went to the police station to identify the suspect.

They called on the government to hold such offenders accountable, noting that they have incurred heavy financial losses as a result of the thefts, including the high cost of replacing stolen meters.

Abdusolomon Kizza Migadde, a resident of Kirinyabigo, Kawanda, urged authorities to crack down on scrap dealers, saying, “Scrap sellers should be punished because everyone who steals something ends up selling it to them.”

Okodi Hebert Ageta, head of security operations at Kampala Water, said the Government has suffered significant financial losses due to these crimes. “The Government invests money, but some people steal it and sell it for very little,” he said.

Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed that Asingwire is currently in custody at Kawanda Police Station, where a case was opened under REF 08/23/03/2025, and that the suspect will be taken to court for prosecution.