A Rwandan national in his 30s has been arrested for vandalizing and plucking off a street solar panel along Jackson Road in Central Division, Kabale municipality.
Alphonse Shirmak currently being held at Kabale Police station was found on Wednesday morning at around 5 am vandalizing the solar street light panel near the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Kabale branch.
Joseph Bakaleke, the Kabale district police commander says Shirmak was cited by Police officers on a night patrol plucking off a solar panel from the pole.
Elly Maate, the Police Spokesperson for the Kigezi region says that after realizing that his mission had been foiled, a boda boda rider who was on the ground to receive the solar panels sped off.
Maate adds that the suspect may face charges of vandalism and theft before the court after investigations are complete.
Cases of vandals targeting solar panels are common in Kabale. Recently, about 17 cases of vandalism and theft of solar panels installed along several roads in the Central, Northern, and Southern Divisions were registered.
Last week, Kabale district security authorities recommended neutralizing vandals on site.
This was after the 1.9 billion shillings solar street lights project under Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program was commissioned.
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