The Uganda police have in custody five suspects behind cattle theft at the State House farm in Kirasi, Gomba district.

SCP Fred Enanga, the Uganda Police Spokesperson, while speaking to the media at the police headquarters in Naguru, said that the Flying Squad Unit, working in coordination with territorial teams of the Katonga region and Gomba CPS, managed to arrest five suspects who are linked to the continuous theft of cattle from the State House farm.

“We also have five suspects behind the cattle thefts at State House farm in Kirasi, Gomba, who were arrested. So the Flying Squad Unit, working in coordination with our territorial teams in the Katonga region and Gomba CPS, managed to arrest five suspects who are highly linked to the continuous theft of cattle from the farm,” Enanga said.

Enanga noted that an intelligence-led operation was what led to the capturing of the suspects after five cows had gone missing.

“We carried out an intelligence-led operation that began on the 29th of March after five cows were reported missing from Kirasi. The cows had disappeared under suspicious circumstances, so we dispatched a team from the Flying Squad unit here at the Crime Intelligence Headquarters,” he noted.

He identified one of the suspects as Robert Nyazi, a cattle dealer, who was one of those buying stolen cattle from the farm in question. Enanga added that his arrest led to the tracking down of four other cattle dealers, who were also arrested; among them is Frank Ariho, a 29-year-old cattle dealer in Kirasi.

The police further said that those arrested worked with the workers on the farm.

“We have Tumusime Gordon, also a cattle dealer. Then we have Tatureka Fred and Kanyenzibuli, 35, of Kajumero village, and Gumisiriza Godfrey, a businessman of Kajumero. All these were dealers who were working in conspiracy with some of the workers on the farm,” the police said.

The police noted that they pursued other suspects, including Wilson Bazebogera, a 40-year-old veterinary officer attached to the farm, and Ronald Kirimunte, a cattle dealer in Kyamabale.

Several incidents of cattle theft have been reported in Gomba district, including cases involving theft from President Museveni’s farm at Kisozi. In September 2016, three individuals, one of whom was an employee at the farm, were arrested for stealing cows from the President’s farm.

However, robberies are not limited to the President’s farm; they’re a prevalent issue in the region, with thieves targeting one or two cows, slaughtering them near the scene of crime, and then selling the meat in urban areas like Kampala.