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Three teenagers have been arrested over allegations of breaking into Kabale Primary School and attempting to steal its lightning protection system.
The suspects are being held at Kabale Central Police Station following the break-in at the school, commonly known as DEMO School, in Kabale Municipality’s Central Division.
According to the head teacher, Nelson Byomuhangi, the suspects broke into the school at about 2:00 am on Friday, July 10. They allegedly locked one of the night watchmen inside the guardroom at the main gate before dismantling the lens of a CCTV camera in an apparent attempt to avoid being identified.
However, the watchman managed to alert his colleagues, who confronted the suspects as they were removing part of the lightning arrester system from one of the classroom blocks.
The suspects fled before they could be apprehended, abandoning clothes and shoes near the school and the Diocese of Kigezi Mothers’ Union Building. School administrators later reviewed CCTV footage with police, leading to the identification of one of the suspects.
He was arrested after reportedly returning to the area on Saturday morning to retrieve the belongings he had left behind while fleeing.
Police said the suspect subsequently led investigators to a bush and eucalyptus plantation in Nyabikoni, Central Division, where two other suspects were allegedly hiding.
The pair were arrested, completing the operation. Kigezi Regional Police spokesperson Nelson Tumushime said investigations are ongoing.
He added that the suspects allegedly admitted they intended to sell the stolen lightning arrester equipment as scrap metal at Shs 15,000 per kilogram.
The attempted theft has raised concern among school authorities because lightning arresters are critical safety installations in the Kigezi sub-region, one of Uganda’s most lightning-prone areas.
In March this year, three pupils at Katojo Primary School in Kabale district were injured after being struck by lightning. In May, three pupils at Bweera Primary School in Maziba sub-county were killed in a similar incident.
Earlier, in April 2018, Aggrey Ainembabazi, a pupil at Nyakeina Parents Primary School, was killed by lightning, while seven other pupils sustained injuries.
The 2021 National Risk and Vulnerability Atlas identifies the Kigezi sub-region as one of Uganda’s most lightning-prone regions, underscoring the importance of maintaining functional lightning protection systems in schools.
The incident also adds to a growing pattern of thefts targeting schools in Kabale Municipality. In July 2024, thieves stole 19 computers worth Shs 256 million from Hornby High School Junior in Northern Division.
The computers formed part of a modern computer laboratory donated by MTN Uganda in partnership with Sense International Uganda in November 2023. Police later arrested three suspects, including two school employees, after investigations indicated the burglary had been aided by insiders.
Related
, https://observer.ug/news/three-teens-arrested-over-theft-of-lightning-protection-system-at-kabale-school/
