Kampala, Uganda: A joint security operation by Police and the UPDF has resulted in the arrest of over 120 suspects in a sweeping crackdown targeting criminal gangs behind a surge in phone snatching and robberies across Kampala.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, SP Rachael Kawala, said the intensified operations were triggered by public outcry and viral social media footage showing coordinated attacks on unsuspecting motorists and pedestrians, particularly around the Clock Tower area.
“In response to public outcry and widely circulated social media videos showing incidents of phone snatching and attacks on unsuspecting victims in motor vehicles, joint operations by the Police in Katwe and the UPDF were conducted around the Clock Tower area in Kampala, leading to the arrest of 18 suspects,” SP Kawala said in a Tuesday police statement.
She added that further intelligence-led operations conducted on April 6 in West Zone, Base Zone, and Kibuye I Parish in Makindye Division netted over 100 additional suspects, pushing the total number of arrests beyond 120.
Investigations revealed that some of the suspects had established a coordinated base along the Nakivubo Channel in Katwe’s Katenda Zone, which served as a hub for planning and executing attacks.
“It was established that the suspects had set up a camp along the Nakivubo Channel in Katwe (Katenda Zone), which harboured them. The illegal structures have since been successfully demolished by KCCA,” she added.
During the operations, security teams recovered several exhibits of evidential value, including knives, a hammer, and suspected narcotics believed to have been used in criminal activities.
According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report (2025) released last month, urban crime, particularly robbery and violent theft, remains a persistent challenge in major towns, often driven by organised gangs operating within informal settlements.
However, the report also indicates a broader decline in certain violent crime indicators, with threatening violence cases dropping to 8,848 in 2025 from 10,345 in 2022, suggesting that sustained enforcement operations are beginning to yield results.
Security agencies say the latest crackdown is part of a wider strategy to dismantle organised criminal networks and restore public confidence in Kampala’s safety.
All suspects are currently in police custody pending court proceedings.
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