A wave of night robberies is sweeping across Moroto town and the district as robbers take advantage of power blackouts and the few police officers in the district.
Locals are reporting daily attacks being carried out by a group of unknown thugs who break into their homes and take away valuable items. Several shops and homes have been robbed by thugs over the past three days alone, taking goods worth over 20 million shillings.
The worst hit areas are Camp Swahili, Senior Quarters and Boma south in Moroto Municipality.
The residents are blaming the robberies on inadequate policing and on a power blackout in the town.
John Baptist Lote, the Deputy Speaker Moroto District council is one of the victims. He says he had gone to the village for Easter when a group of thugs attacked his home in senior quarters and forcefully gained entrance to the house through the roof on Thursday night.
Lote says they swept away all the valuable items including two computers worth more than 5 million shillings.
Simon Lomongin, a sub accountant of Katikekile Sub County says his house in Nakapelimen village in Camp Swahili was also broken into by a group of thugs who took everything in the house leaving only the beddings. He said they had travelled to visit a relative in Napak for Easter celebrations.
On Friday night the thugs also broke into a house belonging to Christine Nachio and robbed her of all her household properties and later set the hut on fire burning all other remaining items including her academic papers. She was not at home at the time of the incident.
A bookshop in Camp Swahili was broken into and goods worth more than 2 million shillings stolen.
Santus Aleper, the owner of the shop says he was called by neighbours early on Saturday morning to report to him the incident. He reported the matter to police who intervened. Several statements have been recorded and by the time of filling this report a police dog was trailing the suspects.
James Nyeko, blames the increased wave of crime on the inadequate patrolling of the town by police. He claims that the police who always deployed for night patrols instead end up in bars and get drunk making them unable to do their work adequately.
Christine Lemo, another resident of camp Swahili claims the police deployed for night patrols always abandon their work and end up in people’s houses.
She wants the police to empower the locals to man their security if police is incapacitated.
George Obia, the Karamoja regional police spokesperson says police are following up all these robberies. He says one suspect identified as Lotukei Joseph, who was found in possession of some of the stolen property, has been arrested.
He also accuses the victims of negligence saying some business owners are failing to employ night guards to protect their premises.
Obia says with few number of police personnel, the force cannot patrol all corners of the town to provide better security.
