By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
Scrap dealers under their umbrella association, Uganda Scrap Dealers and Innovators Association have revealed that the people behind the increased vandalism of electricity infrastructure are Electricity Power Agencies’ staff protected by police.
The Dealers made the revelation on 19th December, 2022 while meeting the Mukono District security team led by the RDC, Hajjat Ndisaba Fatuma Nabittaka at Mukono Resort Hotel. Others in the meeting were the District Police Commander, Edirisa Kyeyune, and Head of operations, Aggrey Seruwo.
The Scrap dealers said some civil servants hire them to drive the stolen electrical items to Steel factories and sell them.
They also accused power agencies employees of selling to them the vandalized items but later turn around, raid their offices and confiscate what they sold to them.
“These electrical items are not stolen by our fellow scrap dealers. We have proof that (Power firm employees) themselves are stealing them. A man took me to the Busukuma area power firm office and we loaded the wires during the day accompanied by a police vehicle. This happened in March and I took them to Namanve Park and all the vehicles that took them had government licence plates,” a scrap dealer Mugisha said.
They also argued that most of the stolen equipment requires specialized equipment to unlock, (High voltage power pylons) and the people vandalizing have police protection.
They therefore asked to meet President Yoweri Museveni so that they are in position to testify against some of the civil servants stealing government property including electrical equipment and railway equipment.
The RDC however, urged the scrap dealers to improve their operations immediately. She said this will improve their image in society which now looks at them as Kondos stealing people’s property.
She warned the scrap dealers that anyone of them found with vandalized items will be arrested because they have become conduits of the stolen property.
