Four suspected notorious robbers have been arrested in Kabale District following a spate of armed robberies in the area. The suspects—Brian Niwagaba alias Kajungu Saison, Michael Owomugisha alias Kiboneire, Derrick Arinda, and Ingitious Arinaitwe alias Marvin—are all residents of Ibaare village, Rushaki Ward, Southern Division, Kabale Municipality. They were arrested on Tuesday after security intelligence linked them to recent robberies in Kabale town.
One of the victims, Rogers Mbabazi, was attacked on November 18, 2024, along Mutebire Road in Northern Division, Kabale Municipality. The gang stole his mobile phones and an unspecified amount of money. The case has been registered at Kabale Central Police Station under file number SD38/18/11/2024.
According to Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson, intelligence tracked down and recovered two of the stolen mobile phones from the suspects. Maate also confirmed that Innocent Niwandinda, another suspect believed to possess the third mobile phone, is still on the run.
Additionally, Maate revealed that a mobile phone mechanic in Kabale town, only identified as Mathias, is also on the run. Mathias is suspected of altering the serial numbers of stolen mobile phones to evade detection.
Maate further noted that all the arrested suspects are teenagers. He expressed concern about the community in Rushaki Ward, who, despite being aware of the suspects’ criminal activities, failed to report them. This has raised questions about the role of local residents in concealing information that could have led to the suspects’ arrest sooner.