YOU can run, but you can not hide. It is an old popular saying, which is ringing very loudly in the ears of 38 year old man Yusuf Kanyomozi, notorious for stealing electricity wires and cables in Busoga.
The saying means you can try to escape what you fear most (in this context arrest) but ultimately, you must face it.
This saying originated in the USA in the 1940s and is attributed to a boxing great man called Joe Louis, who was describing his impending fight with light heavyweight champion Billy Conn.
The police who arrested Yusuf Kanyomozi, also known as ‘Kanyangkole’ who has been in their radar for years, were shocked after recovering dozens of assorted cables and solid electricity wires from his room.
Kanyomozi is heavily accused of being the main architect of illegal connections in areas like School Zone,Budhumbuli in Bugembe Town Council, where he gets monthly pay from ‘clients’ for the bills.
Fondly called ‘Kanyang’ by residents, Kanyomozi also plies his illicit deals in other places like Masese/Walukuba, Mafubira,Buyengo sub county, Namagera Town Council,Buwenge Town Council and Kakira Town Council.
It is alleged he has also recruited and trained agents in Mayuge, Iganga, Kaliro, and Bugiri, among others who pay him monthly commission on all the deals executed
“…by extension, he is reported to coordinate power theft in nearly all the districts in Busoga, including the far end Namutumba,Luuka,Namayingo and Buyende …”,trusted sources intimated to this reporter.
According to CCTV footage, ‘Kanyang’ is the person behind the mobilization of violent demonstrations against Umeme-Uganda Police operations and sensitization programmes in Jinja some months back.
Some unsuspecting and gullible members of the general public (including some radio presenters) blindly joined the protests not knowing they were helping a wolf wearing a sheep’s skin purporting to be very concerned and innocent while in actual sense he had an ulterior motive.
The Kiira Regional police spokesperson SP James Mubi, who confirmed the arrest, says Yusuf Kanyomozi has been charged under Section 86A (1)b of The Electricity( Amendment) Act,2022.
President Yoweri Museveni signed the bill into law on 16 May 2022.
Section 86A (Theft of Electricity) states that a person who taps, makes or causes to be made any connection with overhead, underground or under water lines or cables or service wires or service facilities of a licensee; (b)tampers with a meter, installs or uses a current reversing transformer, loop connection or other device or method which interferes with accurate or proper registration, calibration or metering of electric current…,commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand currency points or imprisonment not exceeding ten years or both.
SP James Mubi now uses the incident to caution members of the public to desist from all forms of illegal power connections by the so called ‘kamyufus’ to avoid loss of lives and causing financial loss to the government in form of low revenue collection.
According to some experts, vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure are well coordinated criminal activity backed by unpatriotic people who use their knowledge and skills to disorganize the country for selfish monetary and political interests
It should be recalled that on 12 March 2022, electricity polls were cut down in Gomba district, just two days before President Yoweri Museveni’s visit to the area.
Another similar incident happened in Kyankwanzi a day before the president’s visit.
It’s also worth remembering that underground cables were cut by some unknown people during the 2021 general election tallying exercise at the Kyambogo based Tallying Centre.
In the above context, the politically motivated architects wanted to incite the general public against the Electoral Commission, accusing the government of deliberately shutting down power to rig elections.
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