Overview:
The businessman, identified as Robert Ssebuggwawo, was found in possession of three of the stolen cattle at Ngoma Cattle Market — a lead that significantly aided police in tracking down the main suspects.
Police in the Savannah Region have arrested a businessman and two other men in connection with the theft of 19 head of cattle in Nakaseke District. The animals were stolen from a kraal in Muhangazima Village, Ngoma Sub-county. The businessman, identified as Robert Ssebuggwawo, was found in possession of three of the stolen cattle at Ngoma Cattle Market — a lead that significantly aided police in tracking down the main suspects.
The two other suspects arrested are Moses Gumisiriza, 51, and Sam Rwakyankwanzi. The cattle were reportedly stolen on the night of Thursday, January 19, 2026, from their owner, Nathan Tumwiine, who later reported the matter to Ngoma Town Council Police Station. Following intensive and coordinated investigations, officers traced the stolen animals to a farm in Gomero Zone, Ngoma West Ward, where all 19 cattle were recovered.
Savannah Region Police spokesperson, Sam Twiineamazima, said further inquiries led to the recovery of seven additional cattle believed to have been stolen from other farmers. Of these, four were formally handed over to Edward Isanga, while the remaining three, belonging to Tandeka, are being held at Ngoma Police Station pending verification and official handover.
Twiineamazima commended community members whose cooperation and timely information contributed to the successful operation. He urged the public to remain vigilant, safeguard their livestock, and promptly report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station. Cattle theft has remained a persistent challenge in the Savannah Region, which comprises Luwero District, Nakaseke District, and Nakasongola District.
In some instances, the vice has triggered mob justice against suspected offenders. On October 31, 2025, Uganda Radio Network reported that a mob in Luwero lynched and set ablaze a suspected cattle thief along with his vehicle. The deceased, identified as Henry Sekindu, 38, was intercepted by residents while driving a Toyota Premio, registration number UBD 290M — a vehicle that had reportedly been stolen from Kasana earlier that week.
Similarly, in early September 2025, URN reported that police in Luwero intercepted and impounded a vehicle suspected of being involved in cattle theft. The white Toyota Wish, registration number UAQ 768K, had been under surveillance due to its alleged role in livestock thefts across the Savannah Region. In mid-June 2025, police recovered 42 head of cattle within a single week during intensified crackdowns on livestock theft.
Earlier, on June 14, 2025, URN reported that 38 cows had been seized and 10 suspects arrested in connection with nighttime kraal raids in various parts of Nakasongola. Police data indicates that between September 2024 and March 2025, a total of 492 cattle were reported stolen across the Savannah Region, of which 310 were recovered.
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