Just how dangerous can theft be? It can cost lives. It happens every once in a while here in America and virtually every day in the African nation of Uganda. We recently wrote about how the theft of traffic signs is literally killing people in Uganda.

The theft has also been fueled by a huge demand for materials used to manufacture saucepans. Wealthy scrap dealers with trucks employ the youth to cut down the road signs during the night. They are then collected and transported to the different scrap joints, mixed with other metals and sold off to factories as scrap.

It’s for the toilets?

Because of the construction boom, some of the materials, such as rails, are sold off to builders to construct toilet bridgings, especially in schools.

The consequences are both economic and social. Death and injuries cause misery to friends and relatives and rob the country of much needed human resources.

One of the worst thefts came on the Kampala-Hoima Road, where more than 100 road signs were stolen in one night. Of course, the thieves remain at-large.

The sad truth is they do not have enough law enforcement officers to fight the thefts. They understand this and are exploring cheaper options to deter the thieves.