Police in Sheema have rescued two thieves who were on the verge of being murdered by a Mob after they were caught red handed stealing goats from the farm.

Kasule Consilata, the Sheema District Police Commander (DPC) confirmed the incident and identified the suspects as Akankwasa Derrick,26, and Ashaba Peter,25, both residents of Karusegu cell, Rushozi ward, Sheema central division in Sheema municipality where the incident occurred.

Mukundane Benson, the head of security in Karusegu cell told our reporter that the suspects had two goats on the motorcycle but when he tried to intercept them they tried to knock him which prompted him to raise an alarm that led to arrest of thieves. 

Tumusiime Peter, the owner of the goats said that so far 8 goats have been stolen from his farm. He noted that thieves normally steal from his farm during the day because he is always at work. He advised youth to go to work instead of practicing theft. 

DPC Kasule further intimated to our reporter that the suspects were rescued by police and taken to Kabwohe health centre IV for treatment as efforts to arrest those involved in mob justice are underway and investigations into the matter continue.

Parents have been advised to escort their children to school to avoid inconveniences and criminals during the upcoming back-to-school period.

This advice was sounded by Rodoviko Byarugaba, the secretary for Education and Social Based Community Services Isingiro District while speaking to our reporter.

Byarugaba says that parents have a habit of sending their children alone at school and they end up making wrong decisions instead of going to school such as betting school fees, meeting with their boyfriends and girlfriends among others.

Byarugaba also challenged parents with day students to always pack food for their children, saying many parents send their day students to school without food and expect better performance at the end of the term or year.

Byarugaba noted that its high time parents know their roles on their children while going back to school by providing them with necessary scholastic materials for better results at the end of the term or year.

According to the Ministry of Education and Sports, term one for both secondary and primary school is scheduled to commence on Monday, February 5^th 2024 until May 3^rd 2024, lasting 89 days.

Police in Mbarara city have arrested a man who has allegedly been impersonating the Lord Mayor Mbarara city.

Samson Kasasira, the Rwizi Regional Police Spokesperson identified the suspect as Nelson Byarugaba, a 38-year –old resident of Kabura – Ishokye ward, Kamwenge District.

The suspect, Nelson Byarugaba, who is accused of impersonating Mbarara city mayor.

Kasasira added that the suspect was arrested from Lyantonde where he has been operating and he is currently being held at Mbarara central police station on accusations of impersonation and fraud.

Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, the mayor Mbarara City said the suspect has been disguising as the Lord Mayor Mbarara city, calling several mayors of other cities and defrauding citizens in the guise of giving them jobs.

The suspect who is currently detained at Mbarara central police station will be taken to court after investigations are complete.

Authorities in schools have attributed the decline in PLE performance to the widened teacher-to-learner ratio in schools.

The head teachers say, compared to the PLE performance of 2022, there was a decline in the performance of 2023 PLE due to a low teacher-to-learner ratio.

Speaking to our reporter, Fredric Tumuhirwe, the head teacher at Uganda martyrs primary school in Mbarara said the government’s failure to recruit enough teachers may be one of reasons for poor performances in some schools.

According to Tumuhirwe, the government sometimes doesn’t immediately replace the retired teachers causing a teaching gap and low teacher to learner ratio.

Notably, last year, the ministry of finance, planning and economic development suspended recruitment of new government workers which has left many schools within Mbarara city grappling with staffing gaps.

According to Dan Odongo, the UNEB Executive Director, a total of 749,254 candidates registered for PLE in 2023, of whom 501,602 (66.9%) were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries, while 247,652 (33.1%) were of the candidates were Non UPE.

Patients and caregivers at Rugazi Health Centre IV in Rubirizi District have demonstrated poor service delivery of health workers in the hospital. 

These accuse health workers for failure to handle patients especially pregnant women in time which has increased maternal deaths in the district.

Tibanyendera Jolly, a care giver, told our reporter that health workers have on several occasions tasked them to buy drugs from nearby clinics before their patients are treated, which has become expensive for them. 

Namara Stella, a patient revealed that nurses spend most of their time on smartphones and fail to attend to them in time which results in complications amongst patients.

Meanwhile, Dr. Diana Nankinga, the Rugazi Health centre IV In charge declined to comment on the incident on the phone since she was not in office. 

Rugazi Health Centre IV is the biggest health facility in the district and being the district hospital, it receives over 300 patients on average per day seeking for health services. 

Taga Valley Market authorities and traders have appealed to the Mbarara City Council to swiftly merge Katete weekly market with theirs.

Located in Nsiikye Kyera cell, Nyamitaga Ward, Mbarara City North Division, Taga Valley Market operates weekly for the mobile traders.

Martin Chireko Mwebembezi, the market chairperson said that both Katete weekly market and Taga Valley Market operate on the same day and this has killed business in the latter.

Mwebembezi called upon the Mbarara City Council to intervene and merge the two developing markets.

Justine Bakekyura, one of the Vendors in Taga Valley Market noted that she is optimistic that merging of the two markets will increase their clientele and boost business.

In response, Dickson Asiimwe, the commercial officer Mbarara City South Division said the plans are underway to merge the two markets by phasing out Katete market not only for the good performance of Taga market, but because of being in a congested risky place.

Story by Gladys Rukundo

Police in Sheema District are hunting for a man on allegations of murdering his employer using an axe. 

Martial Tumusiime, the greater Bushenyi region police spokesperson, confirmed the incident and identified the suspect as Mutebi Muzafaru, a casual worker and resident of Kishoroza cell, Karera South ward, Kashozi division in Sheema municipality while the victim who was hacked to death with an axe was identified as Mwigarire Imelda, the suspect’s 65-year-old employer.

Tumusiime noted that the incident happened on Thursday in Kimondo II village, Kitagata ward, Kitagata town council in Sheema District. The suspect is said to have started working at the home of the deceased on Sunday, 14th January 2024 as a domestic worker.

He was staying there with the deceased whose husband stays in Kasese where he does business.

“This morning, the victim and the suspect were not sighted as the cows were mooing because of not being milked in the morning as usual. This prompted neighbours to inform the husband who called the deceased, and her phone was off, “said Tumusiime.

Police responded to the scene and found the kitchen locked with two padlocks, and upon breaking the door, they found the victim lying dead in a pool of blood.

John Rwomushana, the husband to the deceased revealed that some properties, which include a flat screen TV and hoofers were missing and he suspects they were robbed by the suspect.

The body of the deceased has been conveyed to Kitagata hospital for postmortem as investigations into the matter continue.

Ibanda Grade One magistrate’s court has sentenced a boda boda rider, Wilbroad Balikuddembe, to two months in prison for stealing his neighbour’s bunch of bananas.

While appearing before her worship Esther Murungi, 30-year-old Balikuddembe, from Buhumuriro in Kagongo Division, said he stole the bananas because he never had any money to buy food for his six-year-old hungry child.

Prosecution led by Tian Emmanuel said Balikuddembe stole the bunch of bananas worth UGX 20,000, at the property of Michael Mujurizi of Mabanga on November 9, 2023. He went into hiding, but was arrested last week by Police and charged accordingly.

While sentencing the rider on Tuesday, January 16^th, the magistrate said the convict was a first-time offender; had not wasted the court’s time and appeared remorseful.

“You have been convicted on your own plea of guilt for the crime of theft contrary to sections 254 and 261 of the Penal Code Act,” said Murungi.

She however, warned him to desist from crime after prison noting that he would be handed the maximum sentence if he is brought back to court on any crime charges in future.

Theft contravenes sections 254 and 261 of the Penal Code Act, and carries up to 10 years in jail upon conviction.