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IGANGA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The leadership of Nakalama Sub-county in Iganga District has deployed a team of 264 vigilantes to combat the rampant cattle thefts that have plagued the area in recent months. The move follows a sharp rise in animal thefts, with minimal success in apprehending the culprits.
Residents say cattle thieves often slaughter animals and leave behind offal, along with handwritten notes mockingly encouraging the owners to consume the remains, claiming they are not poisoned. The vigilantes, comprising mainly adult men and youth, will conduct night patrols along major feeder roads linking Nakalama to the Iganga-Tirinyi highway.
Through this initiative, they aim to intercept suspected cattle thieves and immediately alert police for arrests. Amina Nabirye, a resident, recounted losing two cows to suspected thieves at the end of March. “The suspects skinned the animals and left behind only the horns and hind legs,” Nabirye said.
Although police dispatched sniffer dogs to the scene, Nabirye said the area had already been tampered with, hampering investigations. No arrests have been made yet. Nabirye’s experience mirrors that of many other farmers in Nakalama who have lost livestock with little hope of justice—a situation that prompted LCIII Chairperson Hamidu Kawanguzi to involve local communities in addressing the crisis.
Kawanguzi said that involving communities would help reduce incidents of mob justice. “Residents are strictly directed to hand over any suspects to the police for further action,” Kawanguzi emphasized. He added that community-driven solutions are vital for fostering long-lasting change.
Shamilah Isiiko, the Deputy Speaker of Nakalama Sub-county, noted that livestock theft is disproportionately affecting women, who have been supplementing their subsistence farming with small-scale animal rearing. “These thieves steal everything—from poultry, ducks, rabbits, goats, to cattle. Women have been investing in animals to improve their livelihoods only to lose them,” Isiiko said.
Isiiko added that she is working with Nakalama Sub-county executive members to draft a bylaw aimed at regulating the slaughter and transportation of livestock. The proposed bylaw would restrict the slaughter of high-value animals such as cattle, goats, and sheep to recognized abattoirs and deter the transportation of meat products from animals slaughtered outside these facilities. Isiiko believes the measure will significantly reduce cattle theft in the area.
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