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Two jailed six years for stealing electric wires in Mayuge
What you need to know:
- On May 24, Ms Atim said “the defendants’ actions amounted to economic sabotage of both Mayuge District and the country at large” and because the offence was becoming rampant in the area, the sentence would deter others.
Mayuge Grade One Magistrate has sentenced two people to serve six years in Ikulwe prison for vandalizing and stealing electric wires.
Ms Harriet Atim Okello ruled that Kalifani Asuman Mulondo and Ntalo Egesa, both residents of Mpungwe village, Mpungwe Sub-county were guilty of committing the offence in their village in January 2024.
On May 24, Ms Atim said “the defendants’ actions amounted to economic sabotage of both Mayuge District and the country at large” and because the offence was becoming rampant in the area, the sentence would deter others.
She ruled: “I will sentence each of you to a jail term of six years so that others still at large can pick a lesson from you to stop vandalizing and stealing electric wires contrary to Section 85(a) of Electricity Amendment Act.”
She said the court had been lenient on the culprits by giving them a six-year jail term because their offence attracts a maximum of 12 years jail or fine of Shs10 million.
She added that since the two had been on remand for the past four months, their punishment was reduced to that period of jail time.
The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) territorial manager for Busoga sub-region, Mr Alex Asiimwe, said tampering with electricity affects education and businesses in the country, adding that insecurity, too, is always high in areas without power due to vandals.
He added that vandalism of electric wires and theft is rampant in Busoga sub-region, with Mayuge and Luuka districts recording the highest number of cases.
The UEDCL communications officer, Mr Kenedy Kiiza, said the company records losses of over Shs3 billion every year due to vandalism and theft of electric wires.
He further noted that this money is lost through replacement of new wires and limited revenue from the people using power due to load shedding adding that theft and vandalism of electricity distribution items differ from area-to-area.
Shortly after the court passed judgement on the two suspects, Mr Kiiza said: “Vandalism is all over the country, but differs because here (Mayuge), you steal wires and transformer oil, while in other areas, petrol is stolen.”
He said the company has decided to intensify arrests of the suspects and allow the law to take its course as a way of reducing the vice.
