The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has assured Ugandans that they will have a peaceful Christmas as majority criminal gangs that had emerged in the last few months have been wiped out.
“Twenty of these groups have been arrested, eight charged in Courts of law, four guns have been recovered, and Sh.10million and three motor-cycles have also been recovered,” President Museveni said in his latest missive titled ‘Update on combating crime’.
For those who steal phones, cars and motor-cycles, he assured the country that the racket has also been broken. “As a consequence, 208 suspects have been arrested, 2,524 mobile phones, 141 motor-cycles, 25 TV sets and 280 laptops recovered,” he said.
Last month, Museveni ordered Uganda’s Police chiefs to come out with a security plan to combat increasing crime. His missive indicates the country could have a a most peaceful Christmas as that period is usually characterized by rise in criminal activity, taking advantage, as everyone is busy engaged in festive activities that end the year.
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PRESIDENT MUSEVENI LETTER FULL
Update on combating crime
Fellow Ugandans and, especially, the Bazzukulu
Greetings, after some weeks of absence. This time, I will, again, address you on the issue of combating crime because crime was appearing, again, after we had suppressed it with Operation Wembley in the year 2002.
The criminal groups, in recent times, had killed people in the areas of Kampala-Entebbe, Ntungamo, Lyantonde and the Kisoro areas. I have not yet received the report for Kisoro.
However, for Kampala Metropolitan, Ntungamo and Lyantonde, the gangs have been wiped out. These gangs had killed 13 people, injured 2 and robbed sh. 24 million in total.
20 of these groups have been arrested, 8 charged in Courts of law, four guns have been recovered, and sh.10million and 3 motor-cycles have also been recovered.
Those who steal phones and motor-cycles sell them. The racket of the phone and car thieves have also been broken. As a consequence, 208 suspects have been arrested, 2,524 mobile phones, 141 motor-cycles, 25 TV sets and 280 laptops were recovered.
Within this period, on account of the prompt response of the Police and quick reporting by the Wanainchi, three robberies were foiled. One robber in Kitezi was killed by the Police, one was injured and arrested and one was arrested in Nsangi.
Let us look at case by case.
Ntungamo District:
On the 10th, 16th and 24th of October, 2019, the criminals attacked: Ruhara Trading Centre; KK shop in Ntungamo Trading Centre; and Katojo Trading Centre. On the 10th of September, at around 19:40 hours, about 6 robbers that had masked their faces, with 2 SMG guns, attacked Ruhara Trading Centre. They robbed a total of sh.6 million from a one Kataiha and Baizire. They fired shots that left cartridges (ebishuuku), the Police of Kiziinga responded but the thieves had left.
On the 16th of September, 2019, at KK shop in Ntungamo Town at 20:30 hours, masked men, with a gun, robbed sh. 4.5million from Kakuru. They also robbed people that were nearby. They injured a one Kato. The Police responded but the robbers had fled on motor-cycles. However, cartridges (ebishuuku) were recovered.
On the 24th of September, 2019, the robbers, at 20:00 hours, attacked Katojo Trading Centre and robbed money and mobile phones from people and injured Turyasingura who, later, died. Ntungamo Police was informed and they responded and arrested Kalanzi: who was part of the robbers. It is from Kalanzi and the clues that were on him that the Police came to know that the robbers of Ntungamo were the same that had killed Nabaasa in Rubaga and had robbed in Bulaga (Mityana) where they also killed Mutyaba Hussein, a boda boda rider that was among those pursuing the robbers after the robbery. What is most annoying is to find out that most of these suspects were former remandees who were released from jail in May, 2019.
Those arrested in this gang include:
Kalanzi, Nkurunziiza, Nuweagaba, Tumwine, etc. The killer gun SMG-No 1968XU2687 was captured from Ssekandi Yassin of Nalukolongo with 11 bullets. They had cut off the wooden butt, to make it easy to fit in the laptop bags.
Therefore, the robbers and killers of Ntungamo, Rubaga, Bulaga, were the same people and most of them have been arrested and the gun recovered. The trigger point for the success in Ntungamo, was the vigilance of the DPC who deployed an ambush party at Kyamate that led to the capture of Kalanzi.
In the case of Naggirinya, most of the suspected killers have been arrested. They are: Kasolo Lubega, Kalyango, Kisseka, Kateregga, Mpanga, Okiri Raymond. The other suspects not arrested but known are: Kisusu Isaac and a one Fred.
There were a number of murders in Lyantonde district – part of the 13 murders mentioned above. In Lyantonde, a total of 6 people were killed and sh. 7 million robbed. All the killings in Lyantonde and the robberies were by gun No. 4813402 with 29 bullets. It was being used by army deserters and other soldiers still in service to steal money but also settle personal scores. Rwabagabo, one of the people killed, was a father of two of these killers. He was killed with his wife, a step- mother to these killers. Kankunda and Katsigaire are suspects that are still at large. Those arrested include: Kakuru Benon, his brother Mwebaze Nathan, Ninyesiga etc. The gun was robbed by Kakuru Benon from an LDU in Bundibudgyo for these purposes of robbing and killing. All the killings, according to forensic analysis, were by the same gun, as far as the killings of Lyantonde were concerned. Once forensic studies (studying the Bishuuku) showed that it was one gun, the Police was able to use human intelligence, to identify the criminals.
On account of some seriousness of the Police, some robberies have been foiled. In Buloba, the thieves came to Mmacks maize milling factory. They found a sleepy security guard, whom they tied and robbed his gun and started stealing money and items in the factory. However, one of the workers rang Buloba Police station, which promptly responded. The Police shot one of the robbers, Tamale Joseph, who was also captured. The security guard’s gun was recovered. The rest will be captured.
In Kitezi, four robbers attacked a home of Sserwadda at Lusanja. The owners of the home rang the Police of Kitezi, which responded promptly and found the thieves still struggling to break into the house. Led by ASP Omara, the Police shot dead one of the robbers and the 3 others went with injuries. The dead thief, had some clues on him that will help the Police to get the rest.
In Nsangi, the villagers saw people with a suspicious bag. They rang Maya Police Station which responded and arrested Kyazze Abdallah with an SAR gun No.11002647-101858, with 3 bullets. Kyazze was part of a group from Katwe on a mission of robbing.
You all can see that what was missing was vigilance by the public and the Police and increasing the speed of responding by the Police. The cameras helped in a few cases. Forensic analysis of cartridges helped in all of them. Police dogs, helped abit in the Ntungamo incidents. It is easy to defeat these criminals as I said from the very beginning.
You can see, how the criminals are trying to use our good roads and the good telephone system to move from Kampala and commit crimes in Ntungamo or any other far corner of Uganda. I will not use permanent road-blocks to catch them. It disturbs Nalumanya and Ssalumanya (the ones who are guilty and the ones who are not guilty). I will always use the technology of jigger extraction. You do not hurt the toe because there is a jigger there. You patiently pull back the skin, until you extract the jigger itself and reward it with fire with little damage to the toe.
I will say more next week.
Yoweri K. Museveni
Jajja
