Security agencies recovered 300 guns from thugs in two years

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A review of Criminal Investigations Directorate –CID approach to violent crime shows 304 guns have been recovered from thugs over the last two years. 167 guns were recovered in 2018 while 137 others were recovered last year, according to data released by the CID directorate led by AIGP Grace Akullo.

This implies that CID and its sister security agencies recovered a gun every after three days last year whereas a gun was recovered every after two days in 2018. They included 134 sub machine guns (SMGs), 21 star pistols, nineteen 303-rifles, 10 G3 rifles, five jericho pistols and five revolvers.

Although these were recovered, the thugs also outsmarted security forces and stole 55 guns in 2019 alone. A total of 800 rounds of different ammunitions were also reported lost according to Akullo. The data also shows that close to 4,000 bullets were recovered during operations against criminal gangs. Last year alone, security recovered 1500 bullets while the number was almost double in 2018.

According to data, Kampala East region that covers Nakawa division, Kira municipality, Naggalama, Kasangati and Mukono leads with 39 guns and 153 bullets recovered. Aswa region in northern Uganda comes second with 24 recovered guns and 654 bullets while Kigezi that includes Kisoro, Kabaale, Rukiga and Kanungu comes third with 16 guns and 83 bullets recovered last year.

The data further indicates that 415 people were shot dead by thugs possessing guns particularly during robberies targeting hardware shops, mobile money operators, supermarkets, factories while others have been killed due to property and relationship disputes.

“A total of 181 cases were reported in 2019 compared to 190 cases reported in 2018, giving a 4.7 percent decrease. A total of 192 people were shot dead of whom 171 were male adults, 01 male juvenile and 20 were female adults,” says Akullo.

However, guns used to kill former Arua MP Ibrahim Abiriga on June 8 and former Buyende DPC ASP Muhammad Kirumira on September 8 all in 2018 have not been recovered. For MP Abiriga, no suspects have been arrested while for ASP Kirumira the alleged prime suspects were killed by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence –CMI before they revealed the whereabouts of the gun.

Police says the source of guns recovered from thugs have been through porous borders where thugs can purchase lethal weapons from countries with civil conflicts or various rebel groups such as DR Congo and South Sudan. However, in other cases, thugs have robbed or hired guns from individuals in government and private security forces.

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