Separate operations conducted by the Police and Rwanda Energy Group (REG) on Thursday, October 12, in Kicukiro District led to the arrest of five people suspected of vandalizing electricity infrastructure.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Sylvestre Twajamahoro, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, said that the suspects were arrested in the sectors of Masaka and Gatenga.
“During the operations, Police and REG staff recovered assorted items from the five people, including 7 power metres, 32 electricity connectors, 35 clamps, 4 fuses and 153 metres of electric cables. These equipment were stolen from electricity distribution lines and from houses in communities,” said SP Twajamahoro.
Police and REG, he added, have strengthened operations targeting people, who vandalize power lines and those who buy these electronic materials as scraps.
“These are continuous operations against vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure, which has affected businesses and government electrification programmes.
We appeal to anyone with information on people engaged in this vandalism of public infrastructure to come forward to support these ongoing efforts,” SP Twajamahoro.
At least 829 cases of vandalism targeting energy transmission and distribution lines were recorded between January and September, this year.
According to REG, most cases of vandalism affected service cables, cross-arms stolen from pylons, earthing wires, underground cables, meters, twisted cables, circuit breakers, surge arrestors, and transformer damages, among others.
So far, Police have recovered over 13000 metres of stolen electricity cables and arrested scores of vandals.
Article 182 of the law determining offences and penalties states that any person, who maliciously demolishes or damages in any way, in whole or in part of construction, building, bridge, dams, water pipes and their routes, railway rails or any other means of communication or electric power infrastructure, wells or any other constructions which do not belong to him/her, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than five years with a fine of not less than Frw3 million and not more than Frw5 million. (End)