Luweero town council is hunting for 200 million shillings to reinstall street lights to curb the escalating crime rates in the area. The money is meant for installing 50 street lights along the Kampala-Gulu Highway, Luweero-Kiwoko road and Kasoma, Kizito and Kavule zones.
The street lights in Luweero town council were disconnected about 10 years ago over an accumulated bill of shillings 20 million, leaving thugs to vandalise the installations. Residents attribute the escalation of crime such as murder, theft and burglary in the town council to the absence of street lights. Enos Wagaba, the chairman of Governors of Luweero Diocese Guest House says that most the crimes are committed under the cover of darkness.
He says that numerous people have reportedly been robbed and attacked near his hotel in the night. Wagaba says that he was forced to install security lights near his hotel because of the rampant cases of crime, but decries the high power tariffs.
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James Mutyaba, a resident of Kavule zone narrowly escaped death after thugs attacked him last week while he was returning home at around 9pm because of darkness. Jackson Kakonge, a resident of Kasooma zone says that each day a case of burglary is recorded in his area.
He attributes the cases to lack of street lights which allow thugs to operate undetected. Kakonge however, believes the town council lacks enough resources to light the town because of the narrow local revenue tax base and wants ministry of energy and mineral resources to intervene.
Charles Ssebyala, the LC 3 chairperson Luweero Town council concurs with the residents saying the lack of street light has escalated crime in the town council. He says that they are hunting for 200 million shillings reinstall street lighting to curb the crime rates.
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