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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Fifty-seven people have been arrested in a joint security operation at Nakivubo channel in Kampala.
The operation was spearheaded by four police commanders who include; David Nahamya, the Kampala Central Police Station operation head, Muhammad Semambo, the Officer in charge of Kisekka police, Consulate Kasule, the OC for Nakivubo police post and Bruno Bamusime, the OC container village police post.
Police accompanied by Local Defence Units- LDUs started the operation from Kiseka market up to Clock Tower targeting the youth who have been recently captured by Closed Circuit Television -CCTV cameras snatching valuables from people entering and leaving taxi parks, shops and arcades.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the Deputy Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson said such operations will continue across the city to get rid of thugs terrorizing traders, buyers, passengers and other members of the public.
All the 57 suspects were being interrogated by press time at CPS and detectives had already started picking out repeated offenders. Owoyesigyire said all the suspects will be screened to ensure the right culprits are arraigned in courts of law.
Mariam Tuhaise, one of the vendors outside new taxi park said the group has been terrorizing them especially in the evening hours after they have sold off merchandise.
“They wait when you’re alone and they grab all the money you have got from selling fruits. Sometimes we beg them to forgive us and we give them some money so that they don’t take it all,” Tuhaise said.
Enock Birungi, a hardware operator said many of the youths arrested in today’s operation have previously been arrested for the same offences. Birungi said that they wonder why the suspects are always released.
“I know they will be back in these same places even before this weekend. They are always arrested and when they come out of jail, they start from where they had stopped. It is just a waste of time,” Birungi said.
However, Owoyesigyire said police does its work by arraigning the suspects in courts of law but reminds people that the suspects have their right of being released on bail. Police said they are attaching all the previous files for repeated offenders so that the courts can know that they are repeated offenders.
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