By Flavia Ajok
Four people have been remanded over theft of sugar cane in Masindi district.
Julius Tindyebwa,48, a farm manager of the field where sugar cane was allegedly stolen, Julius Byaruhanga,36, a Boda Boda rider and resident of Kikuube village, Bikonzi subcounty in masindi district, Twaha Wamaani,41, a driver and a resident of Masindi town and Franko Muzungu,43, a businessman in Masindi Municipality were arraigned before court on Wednesday (yesterday).
The suspects appeared before Masindi Grade one magistrate Fortunate Nyapir where theft charges were preferred against them. The suspects denied the charges.
According to court records, the suspects were arrested by Police detectives after sugarcane out grower farmers contracted by Kinyara Sugar Ltd alerted Police that unidentified people were illegally loading harvested sugarcane in plantation at night in Bubanda village, Bwijanga sub county in Masindi district.
The affected sugarcane field is contracted by an out-grower farmer to Kinyara Sugar Ltd.
The accused allegedly colluded to steal part of the sugarcane being harvested by Kinyara Sugar Ltd and they started loading the sugarcane on a truck. Witnesses have told Police that they suspect the impounded vehicle was taking stolen cane to private weighbridges in Masindi town.
In statements obtained by police from witnesses indicate that the four teamed up and started loading sugarcane from a plantation without any authorization from Kinyara Sugar Ltd where the cane field is registered for harvest.
The Officer in Charge of Criminal Investigations Department Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police Joseph Karwani said whereas investigations into the case were complete, there are other leads on racket of sugar cane thieves which are being probed by police.
“As law enforcers, we shall ensure that theft and destruction of property is curbed. Sugarcane or any other properties shouldn’t be stolen. Law and order must prevail as people do their business” Karwani who led the Police investigations said.
A team of security officials intercepted the truck loaded with sugarcane and arrested the suspects who were transported to Bwijanga police post and later to Masindi police station.
The charge sheet stated that the accused and others still at large, on 13th June 2025 at Bubanda village, Bwijanga subcounty in Masindi district stole sugarcane valued at approximately Shs 5M belonging to Kinyara Sugar Ltd’s contracted farmer.
The suspects denied the charge and they applied for bail.
The presiding magistrate asked them to submit their respective sureties and ruled that court will deliver its judgment on the bail application on Friday, June 20th 2025.
The suspects were remanded to Masindi prison till Friday when the bail application will be decided.
Rampant sugarcane thefts have widely affected farmers in Masindi district who either suffer loses or incur extra money to deploy guards in mature cane fields to prevent marauding sugarcane dealers and brokers attached to weigh bridges from stealing their
In March 2024, Masindi district council presided over by the district speaker Mr Moses Kiirya passed a resolution expressing concerns over operations of weigh bridges, ordering for stoppage of transporting sugar cane using motorcycles and tuku tuku motor vehicles which they argued were complementing sugarcane thefts in the district.
