Moroto police on the lookout for anyone buying more than five chapatis

MOROTO DISTRICT, UGANDA: Buying more than 5 chapatis in Moroto district could land someone in trouble.

Both the police and sister agencies have decided to arrest and interrogate anyone found buying more than five chapatis as they intensify their hunt for cattle rustlers in the ongoing disarmament exercise.

Micheal Longole, the Karamoja Region Police Spokesperson says that their intelligence shows that some of the people buy more than 5 chapatis and take them to rustlers hiding in bushes after abandoning their homes.

“We are now arresting any person who buys more than five chapatis and we interrogate him on why he or she is buying all those chapatis and where they are taking them because we have received information that those buying many chapatis take them to the warriors in the bushes,” he said.

According to Longole, the cattle rustlers are fully connected and just make phone calls to their collaborators to supply them food.

He says that cutting off the food supply will force the warriors to return to the community and surrender the illegal firearms.

Mark Koryang, one of the peace activists says that more sensitisation is needed to allow the exercise be peacefully.

“Although the forces have come up with that initiative, it will not work well because these warriors can survive without even eating chapati,” he said.

Grace Nakiru, another resident said arresting anyone buying more than 5 chapatis will not help to lure the warriors to hand over guns and stop raids.

“What we are saying is that the forces need to work closely with the local community, but when they work in isolation, it will be hard to achieve disarmament,” she said.

Edrine Mawanda, the UPDF 3rd division Spokesperson told URN that they have so far recovered 58 guns in the entire region since the second disarmament exercise that started on July 17th, 2021.