Lwengo residents protest two-month power outage

Police in Lwengo on Monday fired live bullets to disperse angry residents who were protesting against vandalism of electricity wires and poles at Kalegero Village, Malongo Sub County in Lwengo District.

Over six electricity poles were cut down and wires stolen by unknown people which led to power outage in six villages of Kiteredde, Kasambya, Bitooke-Bisalire, Kalegero, Kikasa, Ngango and Kayonza in Malongo Sub County in Lwengo District.

The outage has gone up to two months, which residents say, has greatly affected their businesses, as most of them run shops, salons and others are mechanics.

During the protest, residents blocked the Masaka-Mbarara road and no vehicle was allowed to move and the blockage took about two hours with over 100 vehicles stranded.

Police led by the officer in charge of Kyazanga Police Post Michael Okema, responded after over two hours to quell the protest, removed the blockades and started beating whomever they could find and also fired live bullets.

However, the residents retaliated by throwing stones at the policemen and in the process one officer was injured on the head. Several arrests were made.

“I do not care if the ones I have arrested are the ones who have stoned my officer but I have to make sure that he gets treatment from them,” Mr Okema said.

Ms Jane Francis Katende the LCI Chairperson of Kasambya Village who led the protest said that they went through a lot of pain to get power in their area but surprisingly, some unknown people have since cut down all the electricity poles and taken wires leaving them in the dark. They accuse Umeme officials of being behind the ‘vandalism’ as they are the only ones with the capacity to do that.

“The way these poles were cut cannot be put on mere residents but rather people who have experience in electricity, we ask whoever is responsible to return back our power,” Ms Katende said.

Mr Innocent Kanyesigye, a councillor representing Malongo Sub County said that it is high time the government considered residents of Kalegero as important because most of the time, they are left behind yet they fully support it.

Mr Wilson Tusiime a shopkeeper in Kalegero village said that the situation is very bad because for two months, he has not been working since he only deals in selling drinks.

“I sell soda, drinking water and juice but all my business is down because no customers can drink warm soda or juice, I even failed to raise fees to take my children to school,” he said.

Lwengo District chairperson, Mr Ibrahim Kitatta, said the Ministry of Energy needs to investigate Lwengo district as a whole because it has become rampant to steal Umeme Poles and wires.

“Vandalism started in Kisekka Sub County in Lwengo where a number of poles were cut and electric wires stolen and it has now extended to Malongo,” Mr Kitatta said.

Afande Okema called Umeme officials to come and explain to the people when the problem would be resolved but upon arrival, the officials declined to move out of their vehicle claiming that they would not speak anything in the presence of the media.

They, however, passed their message through the LCI chairperson Ms Jane Francis Katende, that the problem would be solved within two days.