Police in Kayonza are holding two men suspected of cattle theft in the Eastern Province.

The suspects Alphonse Namugabumwe and Asumani Ndayambaje hail from Kayonza and Kibungo Districts respectively.

The accused are said to have been involved in major cattle theft cases in and around Eastern Province districts.

According to the Eastern Region Police spokesman, Inspector of Police Emmanuel Kayigi, the suspects have been terrorising farmers in the different communities.

The duo was caught red-handed with four stolen cows in Mukarange sector, Kayonza District.Police acted after a tip off from a bar operator in Kayonza town, where they had gone for a drink as they searched for buyers.

They are detained pending investigations.

"Cattle theft is a serious problem now days that we are working so hard to fight against. We therefore, commend the whistleblower’s action,” said the Police.

Richard Mutabaruka, one of the people contacted by the thieves to buy the cows told The New Times that, the low price at which the cows were being sold made him suspect they had been stolen.

"I was surprised by the price they asked for each cow…it was less than half the market price.

They wanted Rwf 150,000 for a cow that cost Rwf 300,000. I trade in cows moving them from farmers in villages to towns where they slaughter them,” he said.

"The experience I have is that people selling very cheaply are normally thieves. I was thus reluctant to buy, only to find them arrested few hours later.

‘‘I would have incurred a big loss, if I had bought the cows.”

Jacqueline Musare Kanyanja, the owner of the stolen cows commended the effort by neighbours and the police for arresting the suspects.

She said she woke up at dawn to find all cows gone, noting that harsh actions against the thieves terrorising villages was long overdue.

"I am so happy that my cows have been recoverd…they are a source of food, school fees, clothes, health insurance, etc,” she said.

"One of these men is my neighbour. He was taken to jail a couple of months ago for the same crimes, but later released.

‘‘So, tough actions should be taken by the government to protect us from such evil people in the community,” she said.

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