Mbale High School student found with police uniform arrested 

An 18-year-old student from Mbale High Secondary School, Moses Kaseti, has been arrested for illegally possessing a Uganda police uniform, which he allegedly used to impersonate a police officer and commit robberies.

Kaseti was apprehended alongside 19-year-old Muhamed Kabuko, reportedly a student from another school, during a security operation led by Yahaya Were, the deputy resident city commissioner (RCC) for Mbale City Northern Division.

The crackdown was launched in response to public outcry over a spike in criminal activities, including theft, robbery, rape, and phone snatching in areas such as Nkoma, Namakwekwe, and Central Town. The operation follows an incident last week where a student stabbed a teacher, Kassim Magombe of Mbale SS, for allegedly disciplining him.

According to Were, the security team carried out a comprehensive sweep of schools and surrounding areas, leading to the arrests. However, several accomplices managed to evade capture.

Were disclosed that Kaseti had allegedly obtained the police uniform from his father in Mukono and had been using it to impersonate a police officer. During the operation, security personnel recovered various weapons, including knives, iron bars, as well as opium and marijuana.

Rogers Taitika, the Elgon Region police spokesperson, confirmed the arrests and revealed that the suspects are being held at Mbale Central Police Station as investigations continue.

Efforts to reach Moses Wambalo, the head teacher of Mbale High Secondary School, for comment, were unsuccessful as his phone numbers were switched off.