Police have detained seven employees of Masindi Municipality, suspected of sabotaging a road grader by pouring salt into its engine. The grader, essential for maintaining the local road network, was reportedly tampered with while parked in the municipality yard.
The arrested individuals include five municipal workers from the works department and two security guards. According to the Albertine region police, the arrests resulted from an intelligence-led operation, and the suspects are currently being held at Masindi Central Police Station.
Masindi Municipality Mayor Ronald Businge Kyomuhendo reported that they learned of the sabotage on Monday. An inspection revealed salt in the grader’s engine, but the driver was still able to start it, despite the damage. Kyomuhendo suggested the incident might stem from internal disputes within the works department and urged police to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Simon Peter Ochiti, head of the Criminal Investigations Department at Masindi Central Police Station, expressed concern over municipal staff damaging government property instead of safeguarding it. The grader has been secured as a crime scene, and samples have been taken for analysis.
Sanon Dhaala, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, emphasized the difficulty of replacing such equipment and urged for conflicts to be resolved without resorting to property damage. He also noted poor maintenance practices and a preference for hiring new equipment over repairing existing machinery.