Herbert Mugagga
10 July 2009
Mukono — The number of children abandoning school for scrap business is worrying Lugazi Town Council authorities. Lugazi central chairman Ben Kawule said most of these children, who are mainly of primary school-going age, move from place to place, collecting any metal scraps they lay their hands on.
Mr Kawule said the children have particular people who they sell the scrap to. He said they have become a total menace to the local communities as they have resorted to stealing things like charcoal stoves, saucepans and drums people use for harvesting rain water. "Now that the scrap is scarce, these children have reached an extent of going to people's homes picking anything metallic they land on," Mr Kawule said. Daily Monitor has learnt the scrap menace has also affected the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (Scoul).
A top official at the sugar factory, who did not want to be named, told this reporter on Tuesday that his company has lost millions of shillings as a result of the trend. Recently, Police in an operation headed by DPC Chris Barugahare, recovered pipes worth millions of shillings which had been stolen from SCOUL and sold as scrap. These items were recovered from a store in Geregere village in Lugazi Town Council.
Police have since established a 24-hour patrol in and around SCOUL premises to keep thugs at bay. Speaking to Daily Monitor on Wednesday, Mr Barugahare said: "Patrols have yielded some fruits since the rate at which Scoul properties were being stolen has reduced." He added that some key suspects have been arrested and charged.
Mr Barugahare said most of thugs involved in this act are from Geregere village. Although residents have asked Police to shoot and kill anyone found stealing scrap, Mr Barugahare said they cannot do it since some of the suspects are minors who need rehabilitation.
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