Kampala International University Students’ Residences Characterized by Periodic Robbery

Students at Kampala International University have expressed concern over their security which is not wholly assured in their residences.

These students in question reside in premises around the University particularly to say; Kabalagala, Kansanga and Nabutiti which are city suburbs.

Areas mentioned have a low deployment of security guards compared to the population and businesses there a reason local leaders attach its disastrous effects.

Students who reside here and the rest of the residents in general cry foul over the unending robbery acts that have left them all concerned and scared time and again.

According to Joseph Kasasira the chairman Local Council I Ssebagala zone, students are the most preys of robbery as to other locals.

Students tell their tale

Students are robbed of their household property time and again. These claim that their reports have many times not been fairly responded to when they report to police as it claims to hold infinite investigations.

A one Prosper Nasasira, was robbed of his property the previous semester over the night and came to realize a day after waking up from a deep slumber.

He said that he, in the process lost his laptop, phone and money worth Ugshs. 250,000. Nasasira narrates the fate of his ordeal in this video.

A little different, is Joan Mary Katusiime’s story.

Katusiime is a third year Bachelor of Mass Communication student who resides in Kilimanjaro hostel, Kansangaand has been robbed of her property twice.

She was robbed of her scholastic and household equipment which she suspected of her male neighbours who she was closely associating with.

“I was robbed of my camera, phone and laptop during day when I had steeped out to load mobile airtime. To come back after like ten minutes, I couldn’t trace my stuff,” Katusiime said.

The next robbery happened when Katusiime had left for internship distance away from Kampala and burglars took this gap to break into her room and claimed most of her property. Her fan and Television set were taken during this time.

Joan Mary Katusiime shares her story;

A number of students have been victims of robbery. Joan Kukundakwe, a third year Mass Communication student at Kampala International University was her roommate and her robbed when they had not slept in over a night.

Kukundakwe said she had slept at her sister’s place in a neighborhood in Makindye whereas her roommate was admitted in hospital then.

She received the unfortunate news the next morning in a phone call from a friend who alerted her about the openness of their room a thing she couldn’t figure out in a space of time.

How and when students are robbed

Prosper Nasasira noted that from a discussion with friends, the burglars have strong machines which they use to weaken the safety padlocks to get into people’s premises.

They, too, use master keys, acid and coliform which coliform they spray through ventilators that makes people go unconscious as they carry out their exercise and go unnoticed.

A number of victims of robbery and eye witnesses confessed that once the burglars are done, they relock and an individual can never notice easily.

According to the Ssebagala village local council one chairperson, Kansanga, Joseph Kasasira, most students who are robbed of their property are first year students who are new to and haven’t accustomed to an area’s ways.

“Most of them have many new things like laptops and phones because they are fresh to campus. Not until such circumstances happen to them that they learn to act wisely,” Kasasira noted.

Safety precautions

Almost every robbery victim advised every student to be keen all the time and careful on choosing who to associate with.

A precaution also, Nasasira and Kukundakwe advised students and any other person to use strong and original padlocks and if possible use a multiple of padlocks for it hardens the burglar’s work as he attempts to sneak in the house.

In a message to the entire residents and bearing in mind of a low security enforcement in Kasanga, Joseph Kasasira the LCI chairperson of Ssebagala zone alerted residents to always lock before every sleep.

He said, some people are sometimes taken off by sleep and in the process and end up forgetting to lock up the doorways. He says, however much the security personnel is little, the village security team traverses the area educating people on how best they can live and their property secured.

Kasasira added that they make it a point to educate students especially at the genesis of semesters to enlighten new and fresh students in the area of its security.

According to Kasasira, the level of robbery has gone down unlike in the past. He noted that he receives a handful of robbery cases in a range of weeks. However, he decries of the low security personnel in the area.

Students advise

As it is always said that experience is the best teacher, students who were once robbed of their property advised fellows and those who have never to be keen especially when choosing friends.

They say, people who rob others always have a stronger and closer attachment them in that they always know about their whereabouts.

Kampala International University is located in Kansanga along Ggaba road in Makindye division, Kampala.

https://goo.gl/maps/2K3oSiLgYomuuR2b7

However, with such a pertinent issue affecting parts of Kansanga and Kabalagala with a population of    approximately, the security deployment is low.

While social security is being strengthened in major parts of Kampala, there are still loopholes within some parts of the city especially in Makindye division where KIU sits.

According to Kasasira, Kansanga police post has a total of six police officers who ensure law and order in the entire parish.

Our attempts to talk to the OC CIID Kabalagala police station on the subject in lines were futile as he forwarded us to the DPC who declined our quest.

Attempts to reach him one on one were made in a three day’s time plus, mobile calls but all in vain.

This information remains unconfirmed by police.