Gov't mosquito nets thieves arrested

Police in Kampala have arrested six people suspected of stealing government mosquito nets in Iganga and Luuka districts.

They were caught in a two-day operation conducted by the Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) last week.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said the stolen Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) were procured by government and meant for free distribution to pregnant mothers and children in government health facilities.

"The Health Monitoring Unit were tipped by concerned citizens that traders within Iganga town had stocked and started selling mosquito nets procured by government," he told reporters at the Central Police Station.

The arrested include:

• Abu Magumba, 37, a special hire driver within Iganga town who was reportedly the transporter of the mosquito nets

• Hakim Mukisa, 32, a cleaner at Bukanga Health center lll who coordinated and collected the nets at his residence

• Yonna Wasota, a laboratory assistant attached to Bukowa health Centre, supplied nets to Hakim Mukisa

• Justine Naigaga and Rose Nabirye who are both records assistant at Ikonia health center lll in Luuka district stole and supplied ten bales of mosquito nets to Hakim Mukisa

• Clement Walujo, a business man in Iganga town, was the buyer and one bale of the stolen mosquito nets was recovered from his residence

During the operation, some nets suspected to be from a neighboring country were also seized.

Police said the racket dealing in stolen government (LLIN) is big and the mosquito nets are said to be used for making fish cages.

"Such nets are on demand in Iganga because they use them to fish young fish which has led to loss of colossal sums of money by government because of stolen nets", said Onyango.

He said two of the suspects have so far been charged with unlawful possession of government property while the others have been charged with embezzlement of government property.

But the Director of Public Prosecutions will advise how to charge them accordingly. The case file number is CRB 514/2516.