Five Budongo Seed secondary school staff in Nyantonzi sub-county in Masindi district are in custody at the Masindi central police station for allegedly stealing 16 computers.
The suspects have been identified as; Danson Arinaitwe, Edando Yefune, Violet Sikujuwa, Clare Katuhairwe, all teachers at the school, and Leonard Billen a school guard.
Information obtained indicates that in the wee hours of Wednesday, thugs raided the school and made off with 16 computers that had been installed in the school lab.
Godon Kigongo, the headteacher of the school noted that the school management realized on Wednesday that 16 of the 28 computers that had been installed in the computer lab were missing.
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He says the school management immediately alerted Masinid police who swiftly responded and initiated investigations into the matter.
Sunday Eyetu, the LC3 Chairperson for Nyantonzi sub-county has described the theft as a big loss to the school and pleaded with the police to expedite investigations and recover the stolen computers since they are very crucial in today’s secondary school learning.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson says that, they promptly responded and initiated investigations.
According to Hakiza, they have apprehended the five staff members to help them with investigations stating that, the suspects who are currently detained at the Masindi police station are believed to have planned, connived, and stole the computers with other suspects still at large.
Hakiza says the thugs accessed the school computer room through the door that had not been locked and that the closed-Circuit Television CCTV Cameras that had been installed in the computer room were all switched off at the time the thugs raided the school, an indication that it was a planned move by some of the school authorities and the thugs.
He says the hunt for other people believed to have connived with those arrested to steal the computers is ongoing adding that, once inquiries are through, those arrested will be arraigned before the court to be charged with theft of computers and negligence of duty respectively.
Hakiza has appealed to the public to cooperate with the police by availing crucial information that could lead to the arrest of more suspects believed to have participated in the theft of the computers.
This is not the first-time thugs are stealing computers installed in government secondary schools in Bunyoro region.
In November 2022, unknown thugs raided Kigorobya Seed Secondary school in Hoima district and made off with 16 computers.
The 16 stolen computers were part of the 29 newly installed computers in the school. In April 2024, thugs raided Butiaba seed secondary school in Buliisa district and stole 21 computers that had been installed in the computer room.
This resulted into the arrest and detention of two suspects including Godfrey Rwamukaga and Alfred Bigirwenkya both guards attached to the school. They have since been remanded.
In May this year, unknown thugs raided and stolen 27 computers from Nyairongo Seed Secondary School in Kyangwali sub county in Kikuube District.
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