Is the theft of cattle in Kasese linked to ADF food stocking?

Ugandans may not know this. But there is a very lucrative cattle business in Kasese. This business feeds the near bottomless need for animal protein in the DR Congo. Initially, the Congolese relied on salted fish from Uganda. But with the UPDF ‘discouraging poor fishing practices’ in Uganda, it clearly became unsustainable to rely on the Ugandan fish supplies.

Enter the cattle market. Maybe I need to show my dear readers how serious the cattle market in Mpondwe Lhubiriha is: The Cattle Market in Mpondwe Lhubiriha Town Council was tendered at a calling price of Shs400m. But the eventual winner of the tender offered Shs2 billion. And in such circumstances, the tender is always awarded to the highest bidder.

This ‘cow thing’ is so important that some Congolese businessmen are said to have been behind some of the unsuccessful bids (for this market). Well, it is so lucrative that a political leader who has been dealing in this business has been heard ‘shopping’ for some properties in the US and UK. But I digress!

Last year (when I was in my lugezigezi element), I advised one of the managers of the security architecture in Kasese to find out where the cattle exported to DR Congo end up. I asked a question: What if these cows end up feeding Uganda’s armed enemies in the DR Congo? The person laughed and told me that mine was a wild proposition.

Now, last week, I asked the same person what he thinks could be behind the spate of cattle thefts in the cattle corridor of Bukonzo East and Bukonzo West.

I still posed the same question: what if these stolen cows end up feeding Uganda’s enemies in the DR Congo? It is very probable that ADF rebels are the beneficiaries of the theft of cows in Kasese. And it would not be the first time.
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A Friesian cow and a Fribori bull (cross between a Friesian and Boran) were stolen in Kiburara in a space of just one week. The meat is said to have been delivered in Nyakiyumbu Sub-county in Bukonzo West. Now these were big animals weighing over 250 kilos each.

But the community in Nyakiyumbu is not aware of any suspicious meat. The fear is that the meat may have been transported to DR Congo immediately. But who buys such meat in DR Congo? The thieves and the person they supplied over 500kgs of beef in less than seven days should be framed as POI (persons of interest) to those managing the security architecture.

The people who stole the cows from Kiburara were apprehended. They appeared before the Magistrate’s Court in Bwera last Wednesday. They pleaded guilty, perhaps hoping for lenience in the sentence to be delivered next Wednesday.

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Mr Museveni recently said there was a lapse in the management of the intelligence services. Field intelligence gathering is about thinking outside the box. An intelligence actor in the field is better off pursuing a wild proposition than taking everything as normal. Crime, even ordinary misdemeanour, may transition into a security menace. A local chicken thief is more disposed to be used by armed rebels than a fellow who works hard in his or her shamba. In short, cumulative crime should attract the attention of the people who manage the security architecture of the place.

With the recent unfortunate incident at Mpondwe Lhubiriha Community Secondary School still fresh in our hearts, people responsible for the security of this country should seriously look into cattle thefts in Kasese.

The intelligence community should look beyond their perks and the feel good attitude.

Asuman Bisiika is the executive editor of the East African Flagpost. [email protected]