Ugandans Have Now Started Stealing Spoons And Slippers
Mar 05, 2003
It is amazing how far Ugandans have gone with the habit of stealing. When we talk of theft, most people think of theft of big things like cars, televisions and radio sets.
It is amazing how far Ugandans have gone with the habit of stealing. When we talk of theft, most people think of theft of big things like cars, televisions and radio sets.
Stealing small things has been looked at as normal behaviour, acceptable in society.
Ugandans have gone to great lengths to steal things like soap and toilet paper from public toilets and spoons and forks from hotels, as well as stealing empty bottles of beer and soda at public functions.
According to Police crime statistics, theft is the most committed offence in Uganda, often ranging from 18% to 25% of the total crimes committed.
In the year 1998, there were 13,256 cases of theft. In 1999, they rose to 17, 563, in the year 2000, theft cases were 16,318, in 2001, 14,005 and in 2002 (as at November 31) cases stood at 14,515. This does not include incidences of theft through burglaries, house breaking, shop breakings, robberies etc.
In the annual crime report for the year 2002, the director of CID, Ms Elizabeth Kutesa said, “In terms of incidence of crime, theft was, (and has been for long) the single most common offence reported to policeâ€
While attending the last funeral rites in a certain village recently, I saw local beer being served in buveera (polythene bags), with a straw to pierce the kaveera so as to be able to suck the brew. I later learnt that the organisers did not buy plastic cups because they knew they would be stolen.
In fact they told me that if there is no strict supervision, even the food gets stolen by the people who cook it.
A proprietor of a hotel in Rukungiri town told me that even big people in the district are often seen sneaking away with empty bottles after a function.
Theft needs to be addressed because it is eating away at our societal morals. Many investors, especially in the area of hotel management have complained that their employees steal bed-sheets, slippers, plates etc. In fact workers have to be checked every time they leave the site.
A hotel owner in Luwero told me that he has had to, on top of labelling his hotel’s slippers, put pairs of slippers with different colours in his hotel rooms so as to discourage people from carrying them off.
At construction sites, investors have to battle with theft of equipment by workers. This kind of behaviour can erode investor confidence in our country.
This behaviour is unbecoming and ought to stop. Section 245 of the Penal Code Act criminalises theft and Section 252 sets the punishment to a maximum of imprisonment for five years on conviction.Ends
Stealing small things has been looked at as normal behaviour, acceptable in society.
Ugandans have gone to great lengths to steal things like soap and toilet paper from public toilets and spoons and forks from hotels, as well as stealing empty bottles of beer and soda at public functions.
According to Police crime statistics, theft is the most committed offence in Uganda, often ranging from 18% to 25% of the total crimes committed.
In the year 1998, there were 13,256 cases of theft. In 1999, they rose to 17, 563, in the year 2000, theft cases were 16,318, in 2001, 14,005 and in 2002 (as at November 31) cases stood at 14,515. This does not include incidences of theft through burglaries, house breaking, shop breakings, robberies etc.
In the annual crime report for the year 2002, the director of CID, Ms Elizabeth Kutesa said, “In terms of incidence of crime, theft was, (and has been for long) the single most common offence reported to policeâ€
While attending the last funeral rites in a certain village recently, I saw local beer being served in buveera (polythene bags), with a straw to pierce the kaveera so as to be able to suck the brew. I later learnt that the organisers did not buy plastic cups because they knew they would be stolen.
In fact they told me that if there is no strict supervision, even the food gets stolen by the people who cook it.
A proprietor of a hotel in Rukungiri town told me that even big people in the district are often seen sneaking away with empty bottles after a function.
Theft needs to be addressed because it is eating away at our societal morals. Many investors, especially in the area of hotel management have complained that their employees steal bed-sheets, slippers, plates etc. In fact workers have to be checked every time they leave the site.
A hotel owner in Luwero told me that he has had to, on top of labelling his hotel’s slippers, put pairs of slippers with different colours in his hotel rooms so as to discourage people from carrying them off.
At construction sites, investors have to battle with theft of equipment by workers. This kind of behaviour can erode investor confidence in our country.
This behaviour is unbecoming and ought to stop. Section 245 of the Penal Code Act criminalises theft and Section 252 sets the punishment to a maximum of imprisonment for five years on conviction.Ends