Three arrested for stealing 25 goats

Police in Rakai is holding three people for allegedly stealing 25 goats from a farm in Lyantonde district.

One of the suspects, Robert Muhwezi (29), is a resident of Kimwanyi village in Kyotera and a former senior HIV/AIDs counsellor for Rakai Counsellors Association-RACA.

Muhwezi is said to be leader of a racket of animal thieves who have been destabilizing residents in Rakai and Lyantonde districts.

His accomplices are Medad Abaho (26) and William Kapaasi (35), both residents of Nyakayojjo-Nyakigamba sub-county in Mbarara district.

The trio was arrested on Friday in an operation to crack down on the rampant animal theft in the two districts.

They were planning to sell the stolen goats in Kamwanyi village when detectives rounded them up.

Ambrose Kibuuka, the OC CID Kyotera Police Station, has confirmed their arrest saying the police are keeping the goats as exhibits.



The hunt for thieves

Kibuuka said that residents tipped police after becoming suspicious of Muhwezi, who was selling a goat valued at sh 200,000 for as low as sh 80,000.

He added that the goats were stolen on Good Friday from Rauben Tashobya's Farm found at Buyaga-Mpumudde Sub-county in Lyantonde and police has been looking for them since.

Tashobya notified Lyantonde police shortly after his goats disappeared from the farm.

But the searched for the goats was futile prompting investigators to liaise with the police in Rakai, which caught the suspects red-handed with the goats.

He further said that Muhwezi kept the goats in his house all these days before he begun selling them.

Kibuuka explained that Tashobya was able to identify his goats. A case CRB-18/29/03/2016 has been opened up against the suspects as investigations continue.

Tashobya said that he has so far lost more than 250 goats since 2015 which has greatly affected his income. He adds that a goat ranges between sh 180,000 to sh 200,000.

However, Muhwezi admitted to stealing the goats, saying he was assisted by Abaho, a former employee on Tashobya's farm.

Also Muhwezi resigned his job at RACA last month and decided to do personal businesses.

Animal theft is very rampant in Kyotera, Kakuuto, Kooki and Mutukula border post. An official on the district security committee estimates that more than 500 goats and 100 cows were stolen since last year.

In Lyantonde, RDC Sulaiman Tiguragara Matojo says that over 70 cows and 600 goats were stolen since last year.

He added that they are carrying out day and night operations to curtail animal theft.