12 arrested for stealing Museveni's cows

By Dismus Buregyeya

THE Rapid Response Unit (RRU) has arrested 12 suspects from Ssembabule district in connection with the theft of 100 cows belonging to President Museveni and Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa.

The Southern Regional Police Spokesman, Noah Sserunjongi has confirmed and said that RRU handed over the suspects to the Masaka Central Police Station on Tuesday.

He said the cows were last month stolen from President Museveni's farm in Kisozi near Mpigi and others from the home of Kutesa in Keirasha in Lugusulu sub- County, Ssembabule district where he is the area (Mawogola) MP.

The suspects have been identified as Misach Tibemanya (21), Nathan Mwesigye (25), Geofrey Natamba (22) Sabastian Natamba, David Nkankiriho, Rauben Mujuni, Grace Gumisiriza (28), and Steven Kalenzi

Others are Keneth Bagenda and Benon Kumugisha (30), Herman Mweshezi (21) and Frank Mwebaze (28).

According to Sserunjongi, President Museveni early October issued a warning to his neighbors in Kisozi and Ssembabule over the rampant theft of his cows.

Sserunjongi added that the police chief Maj Gen Kale Kayihura deployed police from Kampala to carry out investigations in the matter.

 However the suspects led by Tibemanya from Lugusulu told New Vision that they are innocent.

“We did not steal the said cows. It is not easy to trespass on the farm of President Museveni which is heavily guarded by security.

"We were randomly picked from our homes by the police,” Tibemanya explained.

Tibemanya added that they were briefly handed over to Ssembabule Police Station and later transferred to Kireka Rapid Response Unit headquarters in Masaka where other suspects from Mpigi were detained last week.

 In a phone Interview with New Vision, Kutesa also said he was irritated by the theft of his cows, adding that the suspects deserve to be prosecuted.