Rising Theft and Burglaries Spark Fear in Arua City

Arua City, once buzzing with vibrant trade from dawn, now feels tense as residents navigate rising crime. Streets fill with vendors and boda-bodas by 6am, but caution reigns amid frequent thefts of phones, motorbikes, and household items.

Shop owners like Loyce Oleru close early after past robberies, trembling as they tally earnings before sunset. A fatal mob justice incident on April 29 at Rhino Camp Road, where a bag snatcher named Iddi Anguandia was killed, heightened panic and led to youth protests.

Police stations swarm with complaints of break-ins and robberies. West Nile Police spokesperson Josephine Angucia condemned mob justice and noted 93 arrests on April 27, with 39 charged. Recent cases include mob killings of suspected motorcycle thieves and cattle rustling near DR Congo.

Though West Nile crime cases dropped from 7,533 in 2022 to 5,579 in 2025, residents feel unsafe. Motorcycle thefts hit 246 cases last year, with bikes smuggled to DR Congo and South Sudan. Gangs like Fire Eaters and Jobless Billionaires operate in hotspots such as Asuru Cell and Rhino Camp Road.

Boda-boda riders like James Opar avoid dark routes after robberies, while students and parents alter routines. Community leaders blame jobless youth on drugs like mairungi, urging government programs for training and jobs. Officials promise more patrols, but fear persists in the city’s narrow streets.

This report is based on a Daily Monitor article: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/-unsafe-city-fear-grows-as-theft-and-burglaries-hit-arua—5448872.