Angry residents kill 10 cows belonging to army officer

Police in Sembabule District are hunting for a section of residents in Serinya Village, Kawanda Sub County who hacked to death 10 cows belonging to the UPDF Director of Protocol, Colonel Naboth Mwesigwa.

The cows were killed from gardens belonging to different residents who claimed that they had engaged their local leaders severally on the conduct of Col Mwesigwa in vain. 

The village chairperson, Mr Vincent Ssentongo, while commenting on the incident, claimed that his life is in danger following increasing cases of lawlessness in his community.

“A month ago, my fellow chairperson was hacked by the same people in this village, I wonder what is next after killing cows belonging to an army colonel,” he said during an interview on Thursday.

Mr Leo Kayiwa, another resident accused Col Mwesigwa of failing to fence off his farm, leaving his cattle to stray into their gardens.

According to Mr Kayiwa, they tried to contact Col Mwesigwa but he declined to pick up their calls. They then engaged the area MP for Mawogola North, Ms Shartsi Musherure, who then contacted Col Mwesigwa in their presence and he agreed to put his animals in a fence.

“He [Col Mwesigwa] has over 200 cows that stray into people’s gardens yet he has the capacity to fence off his farm where he can feed his cattle,” Mr Kayiwa said.

Residents also accused Ms Jane Francis Kagayi, the Sembabule Resident District Commissioner of giving a deaf ear whenever they raise their concerns.

However, Ms Kagayi said she was busy at the time she received reports about Col Mwesigwa’s cattle marauding in residents' gardens.

Sembabule District Police Commander, Mr Davis Willis Ndaula warned residents against taking the law into their own hands.

“We are going to arrest whoever was involved in the killing of the cows,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from Col Mwesigwa were futile as he didn't pick repeated calls from this publication.