10 arrested over theft of refugees’ food

KYEGEGWA.

Police in Kyegegwa District are holding 10 people suspected of stealing food items meant for refugees in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement.
The suspects, who include staff of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international NGO, and some refugees were allegedly caught stealing the food items that include several bags of posho and a number of jerrycans of cooking oil on Tuesday night.
DRC’s responsibility is to distribute food items from the World Food Programme (WFP) stores to the refugees. Daily Monitor has learnt that the settlement staff and UNHCR officials acted on a tip-off that the food items are on sale in Kyegegwa and Hapuyo towns. They then started investigating the matter until some DRC staff were allegedly caught loading some food items on trucks on the fateful night.
Sources said the suspects have been ferrying food items at night to hideouts inside the settlement camp before later taking them for sale in nearby towns. The Resident District Commissioner, Ms Mary Nyakweera, confirmed the incident.
“It is true; 10 have been arrested for stealing food items in the refugee settlement, the food items have been recovered but the suspects are still held by police for further prosecution,” Ms Nyakweera said.
The district police commander, Mr Benon Byamukama, said the suspects were being transferred from the settlement camp to Kyegegwa Police Station for interrogation.
“The suspects are still on the way being brought here with the file. I will give you details later,” Mr Byamukama said.
Kyaka II receives about 500 refugees daily from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Kisoro and Ntoroko districts.