Four individuals accused of vandalizing and stealing solar street lights in Kabale Municipality have been sentenced after pleading guilty to the offenses. The accused, Derrick Tayebwa alias Kiburara (25), a resident of Habubare village, Rubanda district; Gerevazio Ampaire alias Muhumuza (18), from Kigongi village, Kabale Municipality; Martin Muhereza (28), of Hamurwa town council; Arineitwe Editor (22), a businesswoman from Kakore village, Rubanda district; Abel Rusaga; and Martin Ensinikweri alias Muriro, all residents of Rubanda district, were arrested by police in early September 2024 following investigations into the theft and vandalism.
The court, presided over by Grade One Magistrate Pascal Opolot, handled two separate cases against the accused. In the first case, police file number CRB 674/2024 implicated the suspects on three counts: theft, malicious damage, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Between March and September 2024, the accused reportedly vandalized and stole 120 solar street lights valued at 225 million shillings from streets in Kabale Central Division. Ampaire and Rusaga pleaded guilty to charges of malicious damage and conspiracy to commit a felony but denied involvement in theft. The other suspects pleaded not guilty.
The second case, police file number CRB 679/2024, detailed similar charges of vandalism and theft. Between July and September 2024, solar street lights worth 9.8 million shillings were stolen from Bugongi, Northern Division. In this case, Tayebwa pleaded guilty to all charges, while Ensinikweri admitted to malicious damage and conspiracy to commit a felony but denied theft. The other suspects maintained their innocence.
State prosecutor Isaac Onyango urged the court to impose a heavy sentence on those who admitted guilt. Magistrate Opolot sentenced Ampaire and Rusaga to three years in prison for malicious damage and two years for conspiracy to commit a felony, with both sentences to run concurrently, meaning they will serve three years in total.
Tayebwa and Ensinikweri, who were sentenced on the second case, will serve seven years for theft and three years each for malicious damage and conspiracy to commit a felony. However, Tayebwa, being a habitual offender, will serve his seven-year sentence separately from his previous three-year sentence, totaling ten years in prison. Opolot emphasized that Tayebwa’s imprisonment will contribute to Kabale Municipality’s safety over the next decade.
Muhereza and Arineitwe were remanded to Ndorwa Government Prison until October 23, 2024, as their cases proceed to trial.
Speaking after the sentencing, Alex Baingana, Principal Assistant Town Clerk for Central Division, and Assistant Superintendent of Police Andrew Akanyijuka, Officer-in-Charge of Kabale Police Station, welcomed the court’s decision. They noted that vandalizing solar street lights compromises security and hinders Kabale Municipality’s efforts to attain city status.
The solar street lights, installed in 2023 at a cost of 1.99 billion shillings under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program funded by the World Bank, were meant to reduce insecurity, ease night movement, and beautify the town in preparation for city status elevation.
In April 2024, Kabale district security authorities had recommended shooting criminals caught vandalizing solar lights following the theft of 17 solar streetlights.
