Four individuals accused of vandalizing and stealing solar street lights in Kabale Municipality were sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to the offenses. The accused are Derrick Tayebwa, alias Kiburara, 25, a resident of Habubare village in Bubaare Sub-County, Rubanda District; Gerevazio Ampaire, alias Muhumuza, 18, from Kigongi village in Central Division, Kabale Municipality; Martin Muhereza, 28, from Hamurwa Town Council; Arineitwe Editor, 22, a businesswoman from Kakore village, Rubanda District; Abel Rusaga; and Martin Ensinikweri, alias Muriro, all residents of Rubanda District.
The suspects were arrested in early September 2024 following police investigations and were initially remanded to Ndorwa Government Prison. On Monday, they were presented before the Grade One Magistrates Court.
The first case, with police file number CRB 674/2024, implicated the suspects on three counts: theft, malicious damage, and conspiracy to commit a felony. The charges detailed that between March and September 2024, the suspects vandalized and stole 120 solar street lights from Central Division streets, valued at UGX 225 million. Ampaire and Rusaga pleaded guilty to malicious damage and conspiracy to commit a felony but denied the theft charges. The rest pleaded not guilty.
The second case, with police file number CRB 679/2024, accused the suspects of similar offenses, alleging that between July 29 and September 2024, they vandalized and stole solar street lights valued at UGX 9.8 million in Bugongi, Northern Division. Tayebwa pleaded guilty to all charges in the second case, while Ensinikweri admitted to malicious damage and conspiracy but denied theft. The other suspects maintained their not-guilty pleas.
State prosecutor Isaac Onyango requested a heavy sentence for those who pleaded guilty, stating that the state was prepared to proceed to trial for those who denied the charges. In his ruling on the first case, Grade One Magistrate Pascal Opolot sentenced Ampaire and Rusaga to three years for malicious damage and two years for conspiracy to commit a felony, allowing them to serve the sentences concurrently as they had not wasted the court’s time and were first-time offenders.
In the second case, Opolot sentenced Tayebwa and Ensinikweri to seven years for theft, three years for malicious damage, and three years for conspiracy, to be served concurrently. However, due to Tayebwa’s history as a repeat offender, previously sentenced to three years for theft by the same court, he will serve a combined total of 10 years. Opolot noted that Kabale Municipality would be safer during Tayebwa’s incarceration.
Opolot also ordered Muhereza and Arineitwe to be remanded to Ndorwa Government Prison until October 23, 2024. Alex Baingana, Principal Assistant Town Clerk for Central Division, who represented the Kabale Municipality Town Clerk’s office, and Assistant Superintendent of Police Andrew Akanyijuka, the Officer-in-Charge of Kabale Police Station, welcomed the sentences. They emphasized that vandalism and theft of solar street lights compromise security, especially as Kabale Municipality prepares for elevation to city status.
The solar lights, valued at UGX 225.7 million, were installed last year along Stadium Area, Katuna, Mukombe, Johnson, Jackson, Kisoro, Mukombe, Rwakiseta Kazooba, Muhumuza, and Rugarama roads to reduce nighttime insecurity, ease night movements, and beautify the town ahead of its elevation to city status.
The UGX 1.99 billion solar street light project was part of the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program, funded by the World Bank. In April, Kabale District security authorities had recommended a “shoot on sight” approach for criminals found vandalizing solar street lights after 17 lights were damaged and stolen.