Masindi: Sugarcane farmers under their umbrella body, Bunyoro Sugarcane Farmers Cooperative Union Ltd, have dismissed allegations linking
them to a recent case of sugarcane theft in Masindi District.
Kinyara Sugar Ltd alleges that its security team intercepted and recovered 24 tonnes of
sugarcane allegedly stolen from its fields, development authorities say points to a growing problem of cane theft through reopened weighbridges.
The sugarcane was recovered on Tuesday this week at Rukondwa Weighbridge in Bikonzi Subcounty, Bujenje County, and was reportedly designated for delivery to Victoria Sugar Ltd.
Haji Muhamoud Kazimbiraine, Chairperson of the Union, expressed shock over the incident, saying an unidentified truck entered their weighbridge between midnight and 1:00 a.m., offloaded sugarcane, and left without alerting the
authorities.
“We have no reason to steal sugarcane because we have enough to sell. We are investigating the motive behind this incident. We also thank the
police for the professional way they are handling the matter,” he stated Friday morning.
Kazimbiraine emphasized that the Union has strict guidelines: farmers are only allowed to bring cane between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. He added that the Union has installed surveillance
cameras at all its weighbridges to monitor operations.
“We have put measures in place to ensure transparency. We caution our drivers and farmers not to engage in any illegal acts because we are law-abiding citizens,” he said.
Sharif Magade, head of security at Rukondwa weighbridge, said their team operates from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and no weighing is done beyond that time.
“We require drivers to present a national ID, an LC1 letter, and we record vehicle registration numbers. These measures help us avoid handling stolen cane,” Magade explained.
Joseph Zawede, another Union representative, confirmed that they keep detailed records of farmers, truck registration numbers, and drivers who use their weighbridge.
Ismail Nassif, Operations Manager at Victoria Sugar Ltd, denied claims that the stolen sugarcane was destined for their company, describing the allegations as a “syndicated game aimed at tarnishing Victoria Sugar’s image.”
“This is a free market economy. We buy cane from the cooperative, not from individual farmers. The weighbridge is a public place, and the cooperative is free to sell to anyone,” Nassif stated.
He questioned why Kinyara Sugar Ltd had not presented the prime suspect and urged investigators to apprehend those involved.
Godfrey Katongole, a sugarcane farmer from Karujubu Division in Masindi Municipality said the introduction of private weighbridges has given farmers more freedom and better earnings.
“We can now sell to buyers of our choice. Payments are made on time, and we no longer rely on loans. This has helped us pay school fees and meet other family needs promptly,” Katongole noted.
According to police, the stolen cane was loaded onto a contractor’s truck on the evening of October 13 from Kingo No. 6 field, part of Kinyara’s estate. Instead of delivering the load to the factory, the driver allegedly diverted the truck to Rukondwa weighbridge, where the cane was weighed and sold.
Police have registered the case under file references 02/24/10/2025 and 26/14/10/2025, and the truck has been impounded as evidence.
Masindi District CID Officer ASP Joseph Karwani confirmed the arrests and said efforts are ongoing to appr
ehend the driver and any
accomplices.
