NEWS– The Police in Rukungiri District have registered a case and launched investigations into the allegations levied against a born again Christian Church pastor accused of coffee theft.
The suspect is Pastor Isaya Rukare who was on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024 arrested by local leaders of Southern Ward in Kebisoni Town Council, Rukungiri District, led by Town Councilor Sam Karuru and LC1 Chairperson Pauson Kemaki.
Isaya, a resident of Kakibaya A Cell in Southern Ward, Kebisoni Town Council, and serving as a pastor at God’s Embassy Church Kakibaya, stands accused of theft.
According to sources, it’s alleged that on Sunday, May 19th, 2024, Isaya was caught red-handed stealing coffee in the garden of Faibi Byabakama by her workers.
It’s further alleged that despite their attempts to apprehend him, Isaya overpowered them and fled. The workers reported the incident to local authorities, who convened for a hearing on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024.
The complainants provided evidence of Isaya’s guilt, while he denied the allegations, the situation that led authorities to take him into custody and hand him over to the police.
By the time of filing this story, Isaya was being detained at Kebisoni Town Council Police Post and a case of theft opened under File No: 07/21/05/024, pending further investigations.
The development comes at a time when Coffee farmers in some parts of the country are being forced to sleep in gardens to ward off thieves who have put them on edge.
Taddewo William Senyonyi, a journalist and coffee farmer residing in Kisojo village, Kasambya sub-county, Kakumiro District, said that he recently lost coffee berries to thieves for the second time in five years.
This reporter understands that that farmers in different parts of the country are breathing a collective sigh of relief following an upsurge in coffee prices.
It was reported that currently, the farm gate price of a kilogramme of Robusta coffee (FAQ or Kase) costs Ugx 12500, up from Ugx 6,500 last year. The price increment has motivated the farmers to plant more coffee.
