Criminals wiped out in Kampala, says Museveni

President Museveni has said criminal gangs that have been attacking residents in Kampala Metropolitan area and districts of Ntungamo and Lyantonde have been wiped out.
In his statement yesterday, the President said the criminals, who killed 13 people, injured two and stole Shs24m, were dealt with using technology and intelligence.

“Twenty of these groups have been arrested, eight charged in courts, four guns have been recovered, and Shs10m and three motorcycles have also been recovered,” Mr Museveni said.
Three weeks ago, the President gave the deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Sabiiti Muzeeyi, two days to draw a plan to fight criminality in the country, especially in Kampala Metropolitan area.
This followed a Daily Monitor story that exposed high crime in the city centre.

Maj Gen Sabiiti issued a five-point plan, which resulted in a raid on city hubs where suspected stolen mobile phones, motorcycles and home appliances are sold or bought from.
“Criminal groups, in recent times, had killed people in Kampala-Entebbe, Ntungamo, Lyantonde and Kisoro. 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 Shs24m,” the President wrote.

“Those who steal phones and motorcycles 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,” Mr Museveni said.
He said police killed one robber in Kitezi (Rubaga Division) while one was injured and arrested and another was arrested in Nsangi, Mpigi District.

Breakdown of crimes
Mr Museveni said on October 10, 16 and 24, criminals attacked Ruhara Trading Centre, KK Shop in Ntungamo Trading Centre and Katojo Trading Centre.

On September 10 at about 7:40pm about six masked robbers armed with 2 SMG guns attacked Ruhara Trading Centre and stole Sh6m. Police responded but the robbers had left.
On September 16, armed masked men attacked KK Shop in Ntungamo Town at 8:30pm and stole Shs4.5m. They also robbed people who were nearby and injured a one Kato. Police responded but the robbers had fled on motor-cycles.

On September 24, robbers at 8pm attacked Katojo Trading Centre and stole money and mobile phones and injured one Turyasingura who later died. Ntungamo arrested a suspect Kalanzi who revealed clues that showed the robbers of Ntungamo were the same that had killed one Nabaasa in Rubaga and robbed in Bulaga in Mityana where they also killed Mutyaba Hussein, a boda boda rider that was pursuing them after the robbery.

“What is most annoying is to find out that most of these suspects were former remandees (detained suspects) who were released from jail in May, 2019. Those arrested in this gang include Kalanzi, Nkurunziza, Nuwagaba, Tumwine, etc. The killer gun was captured from Ssekandi Yassin of Nalukolongo with 11 bullets. They had cut off the wooden butt to make it fit in the laptop bags,” Mr Museveni said.

He said the robbers and killers of Ntungamo, Rubaga, Bulaga, were the same people and most of them have been arrested and the guns recovered.
According to the President, there were a number of murders in Lyantonde where six people were killed and Shs7m stolen. He said all the killings and robberies in the district were by the same gun 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,” Mr Museveni said.
He also cited an incident in Buloba where thieves came to Mmacks maize milling factory.

They tied the guard and robbed him of his gun and stole money and items in the factory. But Buloba Police station promptly responded and shot one of the suspects, Tamale Joseph, who was also captured. The security guard’s gun was recovered.
The President said four robbers attacked a home of Sserwadda at Lusanja in Kitezi, but police responded and found the thieves still trying to break into the house. One of the robbers was shot dead and three were wounded but escaped.

He said in Nsangi, the villagers saw people with a suspicious bag and informed Maya Police Station, which responded and arrested Kyazze Abdallah with a loaded SAR gun. Kyazze was allegedly part of a group from Katwe on a robbery mission.
Mr Museveni commended public vigilance and police quick response. He said the CCTV cameras and police dogs also helped track criminals.

DIRECTIVE
On October 15, President Museveni gave the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Sabiiti Muzeeyi, two days to come up with a plan to combat the increasing cases of burglary and armed robberies. Describing the criminals as “pigs whose crimes will only add to the credit of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)”, Mr Museveni assured the country that they will be “defeated.”
“I will only comment on the pigs that are attacking People with pangas and mitayimbwa (steel- bars) and robbing them. These are gangs we shall easily defeat. That is what we did with the Kiddawalime gang in Masaka, the gang of Bukomero, the gang of Entebbe etc,” Mr Museveni said in a statement. He added: “I have given two days to Commander Sabiiti of the Police to come out with a plan to combat these gangs...I will look at that plan, comment on it and it will, then, be communicated to all of you.”

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