By Alex Gahima
A damning report from the office of the Kisoro United Boda Boda Association (KUBO) has revealed that 55 million Ugandan shillings has been lost in motorcycle thefts in the period of 2021-2022.
KUBO General Secretary Batamukoraho Baker says a total of 10 motorcycles each worth 5.5 million shillings have been stolen from 10 boda boda riders, many of whom have been left with physical and mental disabilities, while others have been killed.
The report comes days after a boda boda rider in his early 20s identified only as Ivan operating at Travelers rest hotel stage in Kisoro Municipality was attacked and robbed of his motorcycle during the Easter weekend.
Ivan, a resident of Sagitwe, Mabungo Parish is believed to have narrowly survived death and is currently admitted at St. Francis Hospital, Mutolere receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the attack.
The KUBO chairperson Robert Kalangala along with his entourage yesterday attended a burial of 36 year old Philip Mbarushimana, a resident of Kikobero cell, Nkuringo town council and a boda boda rider at Kindly Stage A, who was over the weekend lynched to death by an angry mob.
He was burnt along with his motorcycle after residents accused him of allegedly stealing sheep.
Batamukoraho says the boda boda industry in Kisoro is being targeted by wrong elements who are carrying out their evil plans with little or no intervention from Security organs in the district.
“These criminals are moving at night targeting brand new motorcycles. They use hammers, knives and metals to maim riders and sometimes this leads to serious disability or worse death”, Batamukoraho explained.
According to the report, five motorcycles were stolen in the year 2021 and another five have been taken since the beginning of 2022 to date.
The affected members have been left with physical and mental disabilities in the prime of their lives and are now unable to support their young families.
KUBO Association is 5000 strong with most of its members in the age group of 18 to 35 years.
Batamukoraho says well-wishers and other Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) need to come on board to support these young men who were robbed of their futures.
He notes that through operations of their own, at least six motorcycles from other parts of the country have been intercepted as they were passing through Kisoro heading for either Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We managed to capture some motorcycles coming from as far as Kalangala, Kampala and Mpigi here in Kisoro after being stolen and we made sure their owners were contacted and the motorcycles returned to them”, Batamukoraho explained.
Kisoro Resident District Commissioner Hajji Shafiq Sekandi has since called for personal vigilance among the boda boda operators to ensure that their lives and their motorcycles are kept safe.
John (not real name) at Kindly stage says, the goons are now using beautiful girls in their plot to steal motorcycles.
“Since they are aware that we cannot stop for men at night, they now use beautiful girls, who stop boda bodas and ask you to take them home, only to land in a planned ambush, John said.
Malcom (not real name) of Rubuguri stage says many youth are spending their days smoking Marijuana (weed) and then move out at night armed with knives and hammers, targeting boda boda riders.
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