Eronda
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
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What appears to be an entrenched criminal network feeding off the multi-billion-shilling Kampala–Kiboga–Kyankwanzi–Hoima road construction project has come under fresh police scrutiny after an intelligence-led operation uncovered a cache of siphoned fuel and stolen construction materials in Kiboga District.
The operation, carried out on June 17 in Lwamata Town Council—an area increasingly gaining notoriety as a hub for organized theft targeting road works—resulted in the arrest of a key suspect and the recovery of exhibits that police say expose a thriving underground trade along the highway corridor.
By striking at the heart of what investigators describe as a well-coordinated supply chain of stolen diesel, iron bars, and other equipment, the operation lays bare the growing challenge authorities face in protecting public infrastructure projects from economic sabotage.
Wamala Regional Police Spokesperson, SSP Lamech Kigozi, said the crackdown followed intelligence reports indicating that criminal gangs had intensified attacks on fuel tankers, construction trucks, heavy machinery, and storage facilities servicing the road project.
“Lwamata and its surrounding areas have become operational zones for organized criminal syndicates that siphon fuel and steal materials meant for road construction. This not only delays project completion but also causes substantial financial loss to the government,” SSP Kigozi said in a statement on Friday.
At the center of the bust was Wilbur Muyanja, whom police described as a notorious suspect allegedly linked to the illicit trade.
Recovered during the operation were:
• 20 jerrycans, each containing 20 liters of suspected diesel
• A Tata Prima truck (Registration No. UBL 030A) caught mid-siphon
• 47 iron bars
• 27 empty jerrycans
• 6 rubber siphoning tubes, hoses, funnels, and pumping accessories
• 2 mobile phones believed to have been used to coordinate the logistics
Investigators say the theft network operates through a chain of informal buyers. Cement and iron bars reportedly find their way into small local hardware shops, siphoned fuel is resold to roadside petrol stations, and metallic road barriers frequently end up in scrap yards.
While the immediate arrest may seem isolated, police believe it is only a fragment of a much larger criminal web embedded within communities along the road stretch.
The Kampala–Kiboga–Kyankwanzi–Hoima road is a critical transport artery connecting central Uganda to the oil-rich Albertine region, expected to drastically enhance trade and regional connectivity once completed. However, recurring thefts threaten to undermine both project timelines and public investment.
Police have since warned that the crackdown will widen, with intelligence teams already tracking individuals suspected of facilitating or profiting from the illegal trade.
“As law enforcement, we are treating these acts as deliberate economic sabotage. Whoever is involved, directly or indirectly, will be pursued and prosecuted,” SSP Kigozi warned.
The latest operation adds to growing concerns over the vulnerability of government infrastructure projects to organized crime, raising sharp questions over whether existing security measures are sufficient to shield taxpayer-funded developments from systemic plunder.
Source: Daily Monitor
The operation, carried out on June 17 in Lwamata Town Council—an area increasingly gaining notoriety as a hub for organized theft targeting road works—resulted in the arrest of a key suspect and the recovery of exhibits that police say expose a thriving underground trade along the highway corridor.
By striking at the heart of what investigators describe as a well-coordinated supply chain of stolen diesel, iron bars, and other equipment, the operation lays bare the growing challenge authorities face in protecting public infrastructure projects from economic sabotage.
Wamala Regional Police Spokesperson, SSP Lamech Kigozi, said the crackdown followed intelligence reports indicating that criminal gangs had intensified attacks on fuel tankers, construction trucks, heavy machinery, and storage facilities servicing the road project.
“Lwamata and its surrounding areas have become operational zones for organized criminal syndicates that siphon fuel and steal materials meant for road construction. This not only delays project completion but also causes substantial financial loss to the government,” SSP Kigozi said in a statement on Friday.
At the center of the bust was Wilbur Muyanja, whom police described as a notorious suspect allegedly linked to the illicit trade.
Recovered during the operation were:
• 20 jerrycans, each containing 20 liters of suspected diesel
• A Tata Prima truck (Registration No. UBL 030A) caught mid-siphon
• 47 iron bars
• 27 empty jerrycans
• 6 rubber siphoning tubes, hoses, funnels, and pumping accessories
• 2 mobile phones believed to have been used to coordinate the logistics
Investigators say the theft network operates through a chain of informal buyers. Cement and iron bars reportedly find their way into small local hardware shops, siphoned fuel is resold to roadside petrol stations, and metallic road barriers frequently end up in scrap yards.
While the immediate arrest may seem isolated, police believe it is only a fragment of a much larger criminal web embedded within communities along the road stretch.
The Kampala–Kiboga–Kyankwanzi–Hoima road is a critical transport artery connecting central Uganda to the oil-rich Albertine region, expected to drastically enhance trade and regional connectivity once completed. However, recurring thefts threaten to undermine both project timelines and public investment.
Police have since warned that the crackdown will widen, with intelligence teams already tracking individuals suspected of facilitating or profiting from the illegal trade.
“As law enforcement, we are treating these acts as deliberate economic sabotage. Whoever is involved, directly or indirectly, will be pursued and prosecuted,” SSP Kigozi warned.
The latest operation adds to growing concerns over the vulnerability of government infrastructure projects to organized crime, raising sharp questions over whether existing security measures are sufficient to shield taxpayer-funded developments from systemic plunder.
Source: Daily Monitor
