The joint security forces in Karenga district have launched a manhunt for suspected Karimojong rustlers accused of stealing a gun from the house of a soldier in an army detachment.

The incident took place on Friday night in Lobalangit sub-county in Karenga district. Major Isaac Oware, the UPDF 3rd division spokesperson confirmed the incident. “The soldier had gone to ease himself but when he returned he didn’t find his gun in his house,” he said.

He said that the soldier has since been arrested and detained to help with investigations surrounding the circumstances, under which the suspected rustlers accessed his firearm. This is not the first time rustlers are sneaking into a security facility to steal a gun.

In October this year, cattle rustlers sneaked and took off with a fully loaded gun from the Uganda Wildlife Authority camp in Kalosarich in Kotido. The gun was, however, recovered following a fire exchange between rustlers and joint security forces in Morulem sub-county in the Abim district.

In November this year, suspected rustlers attacked the Anti Stock Theft Unit-ASTU detach in Naminit in Nabwal sub-county in Napak district and took off with two fully loaded guns. The guns have never been recovered.

Maria Akolong, a resident of Lotiri in Loputuk sub-county in the Moroto district said that whenever the region registers a decline in cattle theft, it’s an indication that the rustlers are busy rearming themselves. “These rustlers are so smart, they can pretend to be peaceful just to blindfold security and hit them once, which is very bad,” she said.