By Tenywa Alexander
On 31st March 2022, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni commander in chief of the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) said Uganda would develop very fast if all security agencies did their roles correctly in fighting crime to ensure peace and stability of the nation.
The president was speaking to the staff of External Security Organisation ( ESO) at the Marine Training College School in Butiaba, Wantembo Barracks in Bullisa District when passing out 62 ESO trainees who had successfully completed their 10-month training course.
It’s on the same occasion that the president stopped the internal spy agency from the business of arresting suspects adding that it’s a police obligation. He clearly stipulated the role of ISO as being to investigate, detect people who are dangerous, and deal with internal crimes, political subversion, corruption and armed terrorism. It is against this initiative that am writing this article to ISO and other sister security agencies about the rampant organized crimes in the country which calls for quick combative measurements.
Organized crime by definition is the business operations that supply illegal goods and services for profit. Premeditated continuous illegal activities of organized crime include drug trafficking, prostitution, loan sharking, money laundering and large-scale theft such as truck hijackings. (Simon,1996).
No single organisation controls all organized crime rather many groups operate at all levels of society. Under the legal system, it’s the duty of the police force to prevent and investigate crime.
Organized criminal acts are occurring openly on the street in broad daylight the biggest surprise even in front of the CCTV camera installed by the government on presidential orders as a way to curb crime in the city and its suburbs. Insecurities in streets, taxi Park arcades, marketplaces, ghettos and rural areas with gangsters ruling streets is the order of the day.
Everyday stories run on the country’s media and even some captured videos going viral all about organized crimes.
Below are some of the crimes to back up my opinion;
1. currently Ugandan police are on a manhunt for thugs moving on a motorcycle who attacked a 32-year-old Joshi Keshav, an Indian businessman in broad daylight on Monday 15 July 2024 at around mid-day at Eso corner in the city centre. This gang group was moving on four motorcycles each with two occupants according to a police report.
2. On 7 May 2024, 35-year-old Gabriel Omulala lecturer at Kumi University and resident of Kidongole sub-county in Bukedea district was cut to death at Nabuyonga Rise in Mbale city after being attacked by a group of unknown men.
3. Pallisa district last month witnessed a shocking trend of murders where victims were killed and their bodies dumped on roads to make it appear as an accident.
The first incident occurred on 23 June 2024 when a 52-year-old Otukei Balaba was found smashed in the middle of Trinyi-Pallisa road. Just a day after 26-year-old Mulisa Moses a moneylender from Ntungamo district but resident of Ngalwe village in Pallisa district was killed and his body dumped along Pallisa -Kumi road just after Busitema University.
4. Thugs robbed 22.4 million from a 32-year-old Ganatra Kapil resident of Kiryatete a suburb in Hoima city in early April of this year. This suburb is one of the hotspots in Hoima City that harbours criminals.
5. Joshua Mujunyi a seasoned video journalist of NBS TV was lucky to survive now after a Tuesday 14 May 2024 night attack where suspected thugs struck him with a blunt object on the head while on his way back home in Kinoni Gombe B, Bukasa parish,wakiso town council Wakiso district as two men riding a motorcycle attacked him leaving him unconscious and soaked in blood.
6. A 32-year-old Rogers Kifubangabo, a former Baba TV journalist was murdered in cool blood in Budhumbuli, Bugembe Town Council Jinja City and according to police the deceased was stabbed in the head and around the neck. Budhumbuli, Namulesa, Mafubira, Wanyange Lakeside, Masese, Kikaramonj and Danida are famous areas that harbour criminals in Jinja City.
7. On June 4, 2023, Mudoola Mika a journalist at Apex FM radio iganga branch was attacked by thugs riding motorcycles at the fence of Iganga General Hospital commonly known as Nakavule as he was heading for his morning show which starts at 6 Am.
Mudoola was robbed of a laptop, smartphones and money after being stabbed in the head several times making him unconscious and also losing a front tooth.
Finally I personally on September 10th 2019, I was attacked on my way home after conducting an evening radio talk show at former Victoria FM by three men riding a motorcycle with machetes at Ambercoat in Jinja City making me lose my laptop smartphones, 300,000 shillings, the case I reported at Nalufenya police post and up to date, the suspects are still at large.
Everyday stories about boda boda riders being stabbed to death and motorcycles taken are reported, people losing their money in financial frauds and scams, political crimes aimed at undermining the government or overthrowing it, rape, breaking into private property to commit a serious crime, armed robbery, corruption and many others.
In my opinion, let security agencies play their role; the ESO should monitor security threats and terrorism and monitor the diaspora.
ISO, starting with the Gombolola internal security officers (GISO) should embark on an effective investigation using modern technology in their intelligence taking a look at Gen Z in Kenya much of the rioter’s mobilization has been channelled through social media, the reason why Germany was defeated in world war II was because of new technology.
Police should increase both day and night patrols, emergency police numbers in at least every subregion with a call centre to attend to reports and cases, and services at challenging times should be free for example if I have been robbed why should I pay police canine upkeep to help me trace the suspects and lost properties.
Door to door system of sensitisation on crime reporting and treatment of crime scenes should be initiated in the community.
Once the above measures are ignored, the president will be left with no other options than forming a special unit similar to the Violent Crime Crack Unit (VCCU) established in 2002 under the codename Operation Wembley led by Maj. General Elly Kayanja whose goal was to crack down on organized crimes in Kampala and later the upcountry where the criminals had fled too.
Uganda is known as a peaceful country with a strong army which has initiated peace in most of the African countries including the deadly Somalia. So much effort is required at home.
The writer is an investigative journalist based in Eastern Uganda.
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