Police, military recovered 60 guns used to kill 270 people in 2020 – Report

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  |  At least 60 guns suspected to have been used to kill 270 people last year were recovered from thugs according to annual crime report.   

Criminal Investigations Directorate, in its crime report shows murder by shooting increased by 37.5 percent in 2020. Assistant Inspector General of Police, Grace Akullo, indicates that CID registered 249 incidents of gun shooting which claimed lives of 270. This translates to 37.5 percent rise compared to 181 shot dead in 2019.  

“In 2020, 60 guns and 1,256 ammunitions were recovered during the various operations against criminals throughout the country. A total of 270 people were shot dead, of whom 236 were male adults, 7 male juveniles, 24 were female adults and 3 were female juveniles,” Akullo said while reading the report on Monday.   

CID states that it only took 43 out of 249-gun violence cases to court. This means over 200 cases were still pending by close of last year. Districts such as Kotido topped the list of gun murders with 19 cases, Moroto came second with 14 murders, Napak and Kaabong tied with each recording 12 shootings.  

“By the end of 2020, 43 cases of shooting were taken to court, 6 cases secured convictions, while 37 cases were still pending in court. A total of 171 cases were still under investigations,” CID states.  

The report also indicates that 270 people were killed by thugs in addition 53 people were shot dead during the November riot that followed the arrest of then presidential candidate Robert Sentamu Kyagulanyi bringing the total number of gun murders to 323.

Some of the gun violence highlighted in the report include Matugga shooting of mobile money operator Aisha Nansikombi whose incident was recorded on CRB 409/2020. The thugs robbed one million shillings from Nansikombi and her Sumsung mobile phone.

Another gun murder captured in the report was that of Maj. Noel Mwesigye who was killed on January 17th, 2020. Mwesigye was attached to Special Forces Command –SFC commanded by Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and responsible for guarding the President. CID is still investigating the murder under CRB 016/2021.

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