Former Sembabule Police Boss Implicated in Cattle Theft in Lyantonde
LYANTONDE, March 26, 2025 — Police have initiated investigations into the theft of 175 head of cattle, in which former Sembabule District Police Commander (DPC), Dennis Musinguzi, and his brother, Stephen Owamazima, are alleged to be involved.
Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson, Twaha Kasirye, informed theCooperator News in an interview that Tom Omara, a native of Lira District and currently residing in Rwanda, lodged a complaint at Lyantonde Police Station under SD Ref: 33/17/02/2025, accusing Musinguzi and Owamazima of stealing cattle from a farm in Rwamakuru village, Ranch No.5, Lyakajura Subcounty, Lyantonde District.
In his petition dated 26 February 2025, Omara alleges that SP Musinguzi and Owamazima were responsible for the theft of his cattle. Omara explains that in 2009, while in Rwanda, he met Owamazima, with whom he developed a close relationship. They established several joint businesses, including Brand Revolution, Optimum Technologies, and Jungle Safaris. In 2016, Owamazima introduced Omara to cattle farming.
‘’In 2016, Stephen Owamazima invited me to his village in Lyantonde District to explore the idea of cattle farming. During the visit, I also met his brother, SP Musinguzi Dennis, and other family members. Owamazima showed me a farm where he demonstrated the potential for cattle farming. I was impressed and promised to take up the idea once we returned to Kigali,’’ Omara explains.
Omara states that while in Kigali, Owamazima assured him that Musinguzi had identified a willing seller of cattle in Sembabule District, prompting him to mobilise funds to purchase the animals.
The petition further claims that in April 2017, they travelled together from Kigali to Sembabule District, where they purchased cattle from one Dan Mwesigye, as identified by SP Musinguzi. ‘’After discussions with Dan Mwesigye, we bought 50 head of cattle — 39 mature cows, one bull, and 10 heifers — for Shs 56,000,000, and signed a sales agreement. The agreement was witnessed by residents, including Livingstone Mugume, Moses Ninsiima, and SP Dennis Musinguzi,’’ Omara recalls.
After the transaction, the cattle were moved from Mwesigye’s farm to a rented plot of land in Byasika village, Sembabule District. Omara and Owamazima bought farm necessities such as medicine, pumps, salt, and herdsman’s rations before leaving for Kigali, with the cattle left under the care of herdsman Enos Kayesu, who was also employed by Mwesigye, and supervised by DPC Musinguzi.
Omara says they visited the farm several times but was shocked in June 2017 to find a second herdsman, Nuwabiine, at the farm. Nuwabiine is said to be a relative of SP Musinguzi.
In January 2018, Omara made another visit to the farm with Owamazima, only to find the herd had grown from 50 to over 80 head of cattle. ‘’During this visit, Owamazima suggested that we move the cattle to their home in Rwamakuru, Lyantonde District, as his brother, SP Musinguzi, had been transferred. He warned that leaving the cattle in Sembabule would no longer be safe,’’ Omara says.
In April 2018, while Omara was in Rwanda with Owamazima, Musinguzi, along with the two herdsmen, Kayesu and Nuwabiine, relocated 88 head of cattle — 72 mature and 16 young ones — from Sembabule to Rwamakuru village, on Ranch No.5, which borders Musinguzi’s home in Lyantonde District.
However, in 2019, Omara received reports that three head of cattle were sold, with the proceeds sent to him via mobile money by Fred Musolini, the overall caretaker of the farm. ‘’This was the only payment I have received from this venture,’’ Omara adds.
Omara also states that in December 2021, Owamazima returned to Uganda and began residing on the farm. Omara visited him in May 2022, along with a mutual friend, Brian Kakonge, and observed that the herd had grown to over 270 cattle.
Despite the herd being a mix of local and crossbred cattle, Omara was surprised to later learn that only local breeds remained on the farm. ‘’To my surprise, the herd now consisted only of local cattle. Owamazima explained that the crossbreeds and Boranas had been moved to a nearby herd at their home because they couldn’t manage walking long distances in search of water,’’ Omara recalls.
In late 2023, Omara learned of a dispute at Ranch No.5 and planned a visit to the farm in September 2024, with the intention of moving his cattle to a plot of land he had identified in Chawente village, Kwania District. ‘’Although I had arranged to visit the farm with Owamazima, he avoided accompanying me. Instead, I went with friends Bonny Odurluru and Allan Elwange. Upon arrival, I conducted a physical headcount and found 350 head of cattle,’’ Omara explains.
While in Lira, Omara contacted Owamazima, asking for his 175 head of cattle, but Owamazima denied his claim, asserting that all Omara’s cows had died in Sembabule and that the cattle in Lyantonde belonged to his family.
Omara then sought assistance from Lyantonde’s Resident District Commissioner, David Asaba Nkojo, who tried to mediate the dispute between Omara and Owamazima. ‘’I attempted to reconcile the two parties, but the disagreement escalated. As a result, the only course of action left was for Tom Omara to file a formal complaint against Stephen Owamazima and his brother, SP Dennis Musinguzi,’’ Nkojo said.
On 17 February 2025, Omara filed a report at Lyantonde Police Station under SD Ref: 33/17/02/2025. He mobilised seven trucks and several workers to retrieve his cattle. However, when they arrived at the farm, they found a group of people armed with machetes and herding sticks, ready to cause harm. ‘’Realising the danger, we retreated to avoid any violence,’’ Omara says. He further alleges that 90 head of cattle were removed from his herd on 18 February 2025 and taken to an unknown location.
When contacted, Livingstone Mugume and Moses Ninsiima confirmed that they had signed the sales agreement as witnesses when Omara purchased 50 head of cattle from Dan Mwesigye and moved them to the rented farm in Byasika village, Sembabule District.
However, Musinguzi distanced himself from the agreement and denied knowledge of any cattle belonging to Omara.
Owamazima, on the other hand, claims that all of Omara’s cattle died in Sembabule District and that no cattle from Omara’s herd remain at Ranch No.5 in Rwamakuru village, Lyantonde District.
Omara has now appealed to the Inspector General of Police for assistance in recovering his cattle. ‘’I humbly request your kind intervention to hold SP Musinguzi Dennis and his brother Owamazima accountable, so that I may obtain justice and recover my cattle,’’ Omara urges.
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