Unidentified persons break into Observer offices, take off with computers

A yet to be identified person (s) broke into The Observer offices on Saturday night, and took off with several items, the newspaper management has said.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Sunday, 16 October 2016, the newspaper management noted that “at least 15 desk top computers, several laptops and other assorted items” were stolen.

“The cost of the theft and vandalism is being assessed,” the statement added.

The Observer offices are located in Kamwokya, Kampala.

The full statement reads as follows;

On the night of October 15, The Observer offices on Tagore Crescent, Kamwokya, were broken into and at least 15 desktop computers, several laptops and other assorted items were stolen. The cost of the theft and vandalism is still being assessed. Our offices are protected by a private security firm whose staff on the night, Charles Olupot, was not found at his station on the morning of October 16, with his gun abandoned in the compound. A police team from Kira Road police station is working with The Observer management and officials from the private security firm to trace the person(s) responsible for this act and/or establish their motive.

MANAGEMENT

Between April and May 2016, intruders broke into the offices of Forum for African Women Educationists, Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, and Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda. Subsequently, a group of 31 NGOs petitioned the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura, calling for urgent and transparent investigations into the office break-ins, according to a report in the Daily Monitor.

A survey conducted between June 2013 and May 2014 by Defenders Protection Initiative showed that 36 offices of NGOs were broken into, hampering activities of the organisations due to loss of equipment, life and money.