The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT The police in Hoima City have recovered eleven suspected stolen cows. The animals are believed to have been stolen from Kakumiro District and were being transported to an unknown destination when they were recovered in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region police spokesperson, confirmed the recovery, noting that police responded swiftly to a tip-off from residents who spotted the cows roaming in the city center. The animals had been abandoned by the suspects following a suspected botched cattle theft.
He explained that after realizing police had noticed their movement, the suspects abandoned the cows and fled. “We currently have eleven cows at Hoima City Central Police Station. Preliminary investigations reveal that the cows were from Kakumiro District and were likely being transported to Hoima City abattoir for slaughter or to other destinations,” said Hakiza.
The recovered cows are being kept at the Hoima City Central Police Station pending identification by their owners. Hakiza added that police in the Albertine Region are working closely with local leaders and residents to curb the rising cases of animal theft. Hakiza appealed to anyone claiming the animals to provide proper proof of ownership, including prior police reports and documentation.
“We cannot just release the cows to anyone claiming them. Thorough investigations are necessary to identify the true owners,” he said. Cattle thefts have been rampant in the Bunyoro Sub-Region. In March, the police flying squad recovered 24 stolen cows in Masindi and arrested two suspects, Lawrence Farouk Busobozi and Alex Mukonyezi.
The animals had been stolen from Nakasongola, Nakaseke, Kyankwanzi, Luwero, and Kiryandongo districts and stored in a kraal in Masindi. In February, the police flying squad recovered fourteen stolen cows in Hoima City and arrested two suspects, Ronald Katooto, 35, from Nabiswera village in Nakasongola, and Godwin Tayebw, 38, from Kyankwanzi. The stolen animals had been kept in a kraal in Kyarwabuyamba cell in Hoima East Division.
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