By Ebi Kesiena
Local residents of Namutumba Town Council want authorities to fix and extend solar lights to sub-urban areas to curb surging cases of insecurity.
According to the residents, the solar-powered lamps are an alternative to lack of electricity, and had saved them from thugs and criminals who used to waylay and rob women late in the night.
The residents say the solar lights, which were placed in dark spots of Namutumba Central Market, Kangulumo Street, Dyadya Street, Matyama, and suburbs of Itonko Town, broke down plunging the area into darkness thus raising security concerns.
Mr Maganda Waiswa, a resident of Matyama Trading Centre, said out of the five solar lamps in the central market, none is functional, while two in Matyama and the others in Itonko broke down.
“These are busy suburban areas with businesses which need security lights. If authorities are not ready to repair the solar lamps, let them connect this place to electricity,”
Mr Godfrey Mwembe, the Namutumba Town Council chairperson, said reports of insecurity, especially late in the night, have increased in the suburbs ever since the solar-powered lamps broke down.
“Thugs and hooligans are exploiting the darkness created by lack of solar-powered lamps to lay in wait, waylay and rob people,” he said.
“Apparently, the Town Council does not have money to buy new solar-powered lamps which cost up to Shs35m each. What we are doing is to allocate funds every financial year for repairing the lamps as we wait for another donation from the government,” he added.
In the same vein, Mr David Mukisa, the district chairperson, noted that they are aware of the faulty solar-powered lamps and will soon establish what exactly happened to them.
“We are not sure whether the solar batteries were stolen, but what we know is that the solar lamps suddenly broke down and stopped lighting,” he said.
He added that the process to extend electricity to town suburbs started last year and is currently ongoing, albeit in phases.
