A 20-year-old man has been apprehended by the police in Mbale city on suspicion of vandalizing a chain-link fence at Busamaga Health Center III, situated in Busamaga ward, Industrial City Division, Mbale city.
Rogers Taitika, the Elgon Region police spokesperson identifies the suspect as Jackson Wamboya, a resident of Busamaga ward in Mbale city.
Taitika explains that Wamboya was arrested by health center security personnel and local community members on Sunday night at around 9:00 PM while attempting to flee. He was caught red-handed as he was cutting the fence, seemingly with the intention of selling the metal for scrap.
Geoffrey Wanyama, the administrator of Busamaga Health Center III, reports that Wamboya had previously cut part of the fence the week before. This prompted them to deploy guards in an attempt to apprehend the culprit.
Wanyama further states that the health center had invested over 100 million Shillings to install the fence after experiencing thefts of property from the premises. Johnson Kanene, the chairman of the health center’s management and a resident of the area, encourages the local community to take ownership of the health center as it serves both residents and those from surrounding areas.
He points out that the security of the health center is now compromised due to the extensive damage to the fence. As of the time of this report, the suspect remains in custody at Nakaloke Central Police Station.
By Ronnie Weswa
