Angry residents of Mailing village in Kakira Town council have Wednesday set ablaze 600 acres of sugarcane plantations belonging to Kakira Sugar factory have been set ablaze while protesting the death of their colleague.
According to residents, their colleague Batista Atayo, was on Sunday night shot dead by a guard attached to industrial security services on allegations that he had stolen metallic scrap from one of the plantations, an accusation they denied.
It is said that Atayo’s body was later dumped at Jinja regional referral hospital mortuary, where two bullets were removed from his body.
This prompted angry residents to storm Kakira police division, demanding for the arrest of the guard in vain.
One of the residents identified as Sultan Ritochi says that they were forced to torch the planation to express disappointment over failure by the police to take action.
Sande Kabule the Kakira Town Council LCIII Chairperson, says that although he is against burning down the planation, police should exercise fairness. However, Jinja Resident District commissioner, Eric Sakwa says that security agencies are investigating the death of Atayo.
According to Mayur Madhivani the managing director of Kakira sugar limited, the factory has suspended purchase of the out-growers cane so as to enable absorption of the burnt cane.
