KABALE, UGANDA: At least eight people have been arrested for alleged theft during the Uganda-Rwanda border re-opening Thanksgiving ceremony in the Kabale district.
The thanksgiving ceremony was held at Kigezi High School primary playground in Kabale town on Wednesday afternoon presided over by Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, and Gen Edward Kale Kayihura, the former Inspector of the Uganda Police Force.
The function which included joint prayers from inter-religious clergy also involved the planting of trees and the groundbreaking ceremony of the Museveni-Kagame market at the Katuna border by Muhoozi.
While the function was ongoing, especially with locals lining up for food, police detectives were seen arresting about eight suspects accused of petty theft from the event attendees.
A detective attached to Kabale police station told DailyExpress that police used a mobile CCTV camera van to conduct surveillance at the playground to unearth criminals who were stealing from locals.
He said that the suspects were seen pickpocketing money while others stealing mobile phones from the many people who turned up at the event.
The suspects were seen being whisked to Kabale police station for interrogation.
Meanwhile, Bishop Aloysius Kiiza of Lift Up Jesus Ministries who led the prayers explained that the three years the border closed left business and transport between Uganda and Rwanda paralyzed.
He hailed Muhoozi for convincing Rwandan President, Paul Kagame to reopen the border.
The Kisoro District LC5 Chairman Abel Bizimana says that his prayer is for the border closure never to happen again because it affects innocent locals.
The Uganda-Rwanda border was closed in 2019 on orders of the Rwandan government until February 2022. Then Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused Ugandan authorities of spying on Rwanda, abducting Rwandan citizens and locking them up in non-designated areas, as well as hosting and facilitating dissidents who have declared war on the Kigali administration.
Rwanda also issued a travel advisory to its nationals against travelling to Uganda, saying their safety was not guaranteed.
During the border closure, many people were shot dead and others were injured and arrested by Rwandan security authorities.
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