Lamila Poo Clan Elders in Maracha District Pass By-laws to Flog and Penalize Thieves.

Story by Osuta Yusuf.

Maracha District.

2-October-2025.

📸: Some of the elders and crowd that attended and participated in the clan meeting on Tuesday 30-9-2025. Photo by Osuta Yusuf, Our News Reporter.

Amidst an alarming rate in the theft of Chicken, Goats, Sheep and Food crops from the garden by thieves, the Elders, Youths, Men and Women in Lamila Poo clan have come up with stringent resolutions to flog and put fines on any thief who will be caught ready-handed in the act of stealing any property in Lamila Poo clan with a population estimated to be over 1000 people, and with 5 sub-clans.

The by-law which gives powers to Youth leaders in clan to arrest and beat such a thief with not more than 10 strokes of sticks and fine not exceeding 200,000 Shs, was passed during a community baraza meeting held in Lamila Clan on Tuesday 30-9-2025 where majority of the members in the meeting unanimously agreed to penalize thieves caught with evidence of theft within the clan.

📸: One of the elders in the clan, Mr Enuka Thuru addressing the crowd on Tuesday’s meeting. Photo by Osuta Yusuf.

Enuka Thuru, one of the elders in the clan states that, if a thief is caught ready-handed with a stolen property, the parents will be invited to make a comment and witness as their son or daughter will be flogged, and if the parents refuse to come and witness, the child will still be beaten in their absence.

📸: Mr Ondua making his submission in the clan meeting. Photo by Our News Reporter.

Whereas many in the meeting recommended paying fines as a deterrent measure for the thieves, Mr Ondua rejected the idea by saying that, most thieves are poor people and penalizing them with money, the responsibility of paying the fines will just be transferred to the parents because the thieves are poor and can’t afford paying such monies as fines.

📸: A mother, Loyce Rucoru making her submission.

Loyce Rucoru, a mother and wife to Mr Anzelo Apangu, rejected the idea other members made in the meeting by subjecting a thief to pay fine, but rather she proposed for flogging of the thief using sticks before handing him or her to the police to be taken to jail.

📸: Asiku Patrick, a Youth In Lamila Poo. Photo by i News Reporter.

In some instances where relatives of such thieves become defensive towards their own caught in the act of theft, Asiku Patrick, a Youth in Lamila Poo clan proposed for a fine of 50,000 Shs or 200,000 Shs and more depending on the item the thief has been caught stealing.

📸: Another Youth, Me Madraraka Nickson speaking during the meeting. Photo by Osuta Yusuf.

Madraraka Nickson, another Youth in the clan who  disagreed with the submission of other members in the meeting, suggested that, a thief who is caught with evidence should be handed to the police authorities instead of beating him or her because these days the quality of food many people eat has changed hence reducing body immunity and if such a suspect is subjected to beating and he or she dies, the clan elders will run away leaving you the Youth Disciplinary Committee to be held responsible for murder even when they were trying to enforce deterrent measures passed in the by-law.

📸: Part of the crowd in the meeting. Photo by Osuta Yusuf, Our News Reporter.

If we catch a thief with evidence, we shall flog the thief with 10 strokes of stick, levy 200,000 Shs as fine and if the thief doesn’t give back the stolen items, he or she will be taken to police to open up a criminal case against him or her, reads part of the by-law passed by Lamila Poo clan.

Click here https://www.youtube.com/live/kqmaXbmHahk?si=7zIsQTSqLNOda-7a to watch the Livestream of the meeting.

Stay tuned.