At least 23 street kids were on Thursday afternoon arrested from within Kabale town and detained at Kabale central police station.
The operation that was led by the Kabale district police commander Brian Ampeire was intended to keep the town crime free and make it convenient for everyone to live in.
“Most of these street kids have been on streets smoking marijuana, and have turned into drug addicts,” Ampeire said.
“People from Kabale supermarkets had been complaining. Whenever they are shopping from supermarkets, they meet street kids at supermarkets’ doors and beg them so much. This is indecent. They even break and steal frompeople’s houses.”
According to Ampeire, the 23 suspects will be charged with different cases, ranging from being disorderly, possession of opium, misuse of drugs, and criminal trespass among others.
He warned that most of the arrested had been former prisoners, saying that they had learnt nothing in their previous prison times.
Sam Arineitrwe, the central division chairperson in Kabale municipality speaking to the press after the operation noted that the town cannot stabilize with street kids and thus there was a need to have them arrested for descent security of the town.
According to Arineitwe, some street kids come from very poor homes, others have become stubborn and left their homes, and others have been sent by their parents to beg on street.
Arineitwe revealed that the operation would continue to go on until Kabale town is free of street kids.
Kabale town a tourism city
Arineitwe says Kabale town is poised to being a tourism city and thus cannot make it with the street kids who pose a security threat to the town.
Kabale municipal council three years ago launched a campaign of making Kabale town a tourism city.
A lot has been done in town since then in a bid to make their vision a reality. The green trees have been planted along the streets, Kabale museum refurbished and a number of tourism companies have established themselves in town.
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