Police in the Kiira region confirmed on Monday the detention of 35 suspects arrested for their involvement in various criminal behaviour during the Nyege-Nyege festival held from November 9th to 12th, 2023.
The suspects have been screened and are currently held at Jinja City’s Nalufenya police station, awaiting further prosecution in the courts of law.
In a statement released by the Kiira regional police command, 45 suspects were arrested mainly on the 10th and 11th of November.
However, 10 of them committed minor crimes, and they were cautioned before release during the screening process.
The statement categorizes the crimes as follows: 20 cases involving theft of mobile phones, three cases of impersonating police officers, three cases of being in possession of opium, 12 cases of forging entry tickets, and one case of stealing from a motor vehicle.
The Kiira regional police spokesperson, James Mubi, argues that the festivities were held at three major venues: the Source of the River Nile, the Agricultural Showgrounds, and the golf course.
He notes that criminal-minded elements took advantage of minor loopholes to create havoc, but most of them were arrested.Mubi mentions that joint forces of police and UPDF were widely deployed in the festival venue and its borderlines to safeguard revelers and their property.
Minimal incidents were registered compared to last year’s incidents, which numbered over 86 cases.
He warns the general public to stay alert, as some individuals are constantly scheming to grab valuables during the ongoing festivities, including the royal wedding, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.Meanwhile, Busoga Kingdom’s premier, Hellen Namutumba, commended revelers for their vigilance and constant communication with security operatives to avert any form of diverse insecurity, amidst terror alerts from superpower countries.