Security teams have arrested 72 suspects accused of terrorising residents through a spate of robberies, thefts, and violent attacks in Rukungiri District.
The suspects were apprehended during a joint security operation conducted between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in Rukungiri Municipality.
According to Elly Maate, the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, the operation followed an upsurge in criminal activities, including bag-snatching, house break-ins, and drug abuse.
Maate said that 26 of the suspects were found in possession of house-breaking implements and marijuana during the operation. All the suspects are currently being detained at Rukungiri Central Police Station pending court proceedings.
The crackdown in Rukungiri is part of intensified regional operations aimed at curbing rising crime across Kigezi.
Earlier this week, 20 suspects were arrested during night operations in Kisoro Municipality, while more than 20 others were apprehended in Kabale last week.
Among those arrested in Kabale are 14 individuals who had recently been released from Ndorwa Government Prison, where they had been serving sentences for burglary.
One of the suspects in custody has been identified as Owen Arinda, alias Shakido, a first-year student pursuing a National Certificate in Agriculture at St. Ignatius University, Kabale. Arinda is among four suspects linked to a string of violent attacks and robberies that occurred on October 1, 2025.
During the attacks, a security guard at Albertine Hotel Kabale, identified as Stephen, was hacked to death, while businesswoman Loyce Kanyoro sustained critical injuries.
The group allegedly went on to attack the home of Sunday Kenneth in Nyabikoni, stealing a Toyota Noah registration number UBP 471V, which was later abandoned in Mwanjari after being used to transport stolen property.
The same gang is believed to have assaulted Vian Ngororano, a 32-year-old employee of Kabale High Court, at Kamatojo Cell, Mwanjari Ward. Ngororano managed to fight back, injuring one of the attackers with a panga.
Maate has appealed to members of the public to cooperate with authorities by providing evidence that can help pin the suspects in court.
“We urge the concerned members of the public to come forward and provide evidence against the suspects so that they can receive appropriate sentences,” he said.