Farmers across the country are spending sleepless nights following a surge in livestock theft that has left them with losses.
Security says the rampant theft is being driven by a rising demand for animals to slaughter amidst the scarcity of beef. The cases are common in major urban centres with a high volume of local restaurants and visitors.
This has triggered concerns among the public, with concerns for swift interventions. On a Saturday, Director of Operations, Uganda Police Force, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP), Frank Mwesigwa, said several measures have been put in place.
AIGP Mwesigwa disclosed that security and leadership of respective districts have resolved to develop a database of habitual livestock thieves, improve rural patrols in livestock movement routes, strict enforcement of animal movement permits, strengthen sub-county security committees, prosecution and legal deterrence.
The preventive measures were reached during a meeting by cattle owners, political leaders and security in Kiruhura and Kazo cattle corridors on Saturday.
“The modern livestock theft is commercialised and organised, we urge the public and local leaders to work with security teams on ground to identify and profile the livestock thieves to be arrested and prosecuted,” AIGP Mwesigwa said.
A quick operational model focusing on detecting, preventing, intercepting and prosecuting the livestock thieves has also been set up, AIGP Mwesigwa disclosed.
He directed all territorial police in every district to work closely with the District Veterinary Officers to crack down on illegal sale of meat and enforce livestock movement permit requirements.
Security agencies will conduct snap checks along major routes used to transport animals and animal products. We shall also register and properly document herdsmen to address cases where individuals have allegedly been collaborating with cattle thieves, AIGP Mwesigwa said.
It is believed that stolen livestock often ends up in meat kiosks in urban centres such as Mbarara and Kampala, as the main market centre for meat, since it has the majority population.
Several farmers who spoke to this publication said the stolen livestock is cheaply sold on the black market.
“You find a mature bull weighing 800kg, the thieves sell it at Shs700000, the thieves use Toyota Noahs and covered pickups to transport the animals, while others use motorcycles,” A farmer in Kazo District said.
In greater Luwero, the same crime has emerged, and stakeholders have also questioned the persistent cattle theft in light of the police checkpoints on the major animal transport routes in the area.
A recent police report reveals that 492 cattle were stolen across the Districts of Nakasongola, Nakaseke and Luweero between September 2024 and March 2025.
It also indicates that 172 cattle were stolen between the months of January and February 2026. Police operations in the same region had earlier recovered 310 cattle by September 2025.
At one of the recent stakeholder meetings convened by the Savannah region security team, the UPDF Commander of the Motorised Infantry Division in Nakasongola, Maj Gen Charles Byanyima, urged for strengthening of the security operations against cattle theft.
“I believe that we still have some weaknesses at the different checkpoints where the suspected livestock thieves easily go through undetected. This could be laxity at the checkpoints on the major routes, but we also have cases where animals continue to be transported at night despite the government ban on night movement of animals,” he told the meeting on March 6, 2026.
Savannah Region Police Commander SSP Michael Kasigire cautioned members of the community against interfering with criminal-related cases that involve members of their respective families.
In Ibanda District, animals were reportedly stolen from Bisheshe, Kagongo and Bufunda Divisions and were slaughtered from the farms while meat was transported in milk cans. Other animals were being transported to nearby districts in Kazo, Kasese, Rubirizi and Mbarara City at night.
