Investigations are underway in Kayunga District following thefts that have targeted transformers and electricity transmission cables.
The district’s police commander, Rosette Sikahwa, reported that a newly installed transformer in Mataba village, Kayunga Sub County, was stolen, causing alarm among the local security forces and residents.
Upon tracking the suspects and the stolen transformer, it was found and reinstalled in Namutumba District, where the thieves had sold it.
It has come to light that an unidentified businessman in Namutumba had paid Shs24m to an individual to purchase a transformer for him. However, this individual chose to steal the transformer from Mataba village and deliver it to the businessman. By the time the transformer was recovered, it had already been installed.
Sikahwa also reported that four villages in the district, including Kyanta, Bukujju, and Nalweweta in Kayunga sub-county, have been plunged into darkness after thieves stole ABC cables worth millions of shillings.
The thieves tend to target cables in remote areas and on days when the power is off. In one instance, ABC cables spanning about a kilometre were stolen in a single night.
The theft of electricity equipment has become a significant challenge in the district, prompting a call for increased vigilance among local leaders, security forces, and residents.
Currently, one individual and two lorry trucks suspected of involvement in the thefts are being held at Kayunga central police station.
A 1,000-metre roll of ABC cables is valued at Shs20m on the open market, according to a source at Umeme.
Both security and Umeme officials have attributed the rise in thefts of electricity equipment to former Umeme employees who have been laid off.