Mayor Prosper Mulindwa of Rubavu District has said regular inspections will be intensified to respond to an increase in cattle theft cases, warning that those involved in the criminal network will be held accountable.

The move follows complaints from farmers who have reported incidents of their cows being stolen and slaughtered for meat during the night. This challenge has been "discouraging dairy farmers” in the district, as Jean Baptiste Mutangana, who has farms in Rubavu and Rugerero Sectors, told The New Times.

"It’s a big problem here; at least over 200 cows were stolen last year,” he said, stressing the need for collaboration between local authorities and security personnel to address the issue.

ALSO READ: Rubavu officials warn against street vending

The District Mayor said some cases involved in the nighttime transportation of cows to the slaughterhouses. He added that arrests had been made as enforcement authorities are tracking more members of the criminal network.

"It should stop,” Mulindwa said. "It's a long network that starts from farm to the market and those with butcheries selling meat at low prices. It’s a long chain, but we are tracing them down, collaborating with dairy farmers and security organs, and some are in custody.”

Reflecting on one of the incidents, Mulindwa said a local leader had been found to be part of the criminal network.

"We assure that no cow can be stolen without the knowledge of local leaders, not all but a few of them. They should know whatever happens within their area of responsibility,” the mayor said.

"So, we strongly warn them that we shall conduct an assessment, and any leader found to be complicit in these crimes will face legal consequences,” Mulindwa added.

ALSO: RICA warns against using paper bags for meat packaging

Quality control authorities also warn that the involvement of butcheries in the theft of cows puts consumers at risk of diseases.

According to Gaspard Simbarikure, the veterinary hygiene and quarantine specialist at Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA), slaughtering animals from bushes and homes is a "practice [that] may be associated with animal theft, and this causes insecurity in the community.”

"The uninspected meat may be associated with significant health and safety risks to both the individuals involved and the broader community, including the spread of zoonotic diseases, among others,” added Simbarikure.