In Butenga Sub-county, Bukomansimbi district, leaders were astonished to find that thieves boldly stole the doors of a recently constructed pit latrine at the site designated for the sub-county headquarters in Kanoni village along the Villa Maria-Bukomansimbi-Sembabule highway. This incident added an unforeseen twist to the ongoing development project.
Also Read: Kabale Regional Referral Medical Intern Raped on her way to Work
The sub-county chairperson, Kagimu Leonard Ssalongo, expressed disbelief, stating, “I came to monitor the site when I saw that the metallic doors that we have just put on the latrine were stolen.” Nayiga Sylvia Kawoko, the parish chairperson, added, “We are just constructing our sub-county headquarters, but there is no way we are going to develop when everything we put in place they steal them.”
Since Bukomansimbi became an independent district in 2010, Butenga sub-county has operated from Kabaka’s buildings. In the financial year 2021-2022, the government allocated shs.20m to start constructing sub-county headquarters. Kagimu explained, “In that period, we decided to first build a pit latrine, costing shs.18m, and the stolen doors cost shs.800,000.”
Facing financial constraints, Kagimu appealed to the government for assistance, saying, “We are appealing to the government to help us replace these doors as we are waiting for funds to finish our Headquarters building.”
Click here to join our WhatsApp group and receive daily news
The Butenga youth councillor, Kyagaba Lawrence, echoed the plea, emphasizing the vulnerability of their current location: “If we have been operating from here, I am sure thieves would have fear to come and steal the doors.”
Law enforcement has been notified, and an investigation is underway to identify the thieves. This peculiar crime has sparked discussions on security measures for government infrastructure projects, with concerns raised about the safety of future developments in the area.
As the community grapples with this setback, there is a collective determination to ensure that such incidents do not hinder progress. The stolen doors now symbolize an unexpected challenge that Butenga Subcounty leaders are determined to overcome, highlighting the resilience and unity of the community in the face of adversity.
