Gun violence dominates Law Society report

Security officials inspect the salon where Pte Sabiiti killed himself in Kyanja Town on May 9, 2023. PHOTO/ISAAC KASAMANI



What you need to know:

  • Uganda has by far the highest rate of gun violence in East Africa, according to the 2016 report by the Intergovernmental Regional Center on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Incidents of gun violence across the country have dominated the rule of law report released by the Uganda Law Society (ULS).

The report titled ‘The State of Rule of Law, 2nd quarter, 2023’ that was released on Friday, captured incidents between April and June.

“In the recent past, the Uganda Law Society has noted the continuous recurrence of gun violence perpetuated mostly by police officers and security agents,” reads in part the ULS report released by its president, Mr Bernard Oundo.

Uganda has by far the highest rate of gun violence in East Africa, according to the 2016 report by the Intergovernmental Regional Center on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

The 43-page report cites gun violence under the period of review such as the killing of State minister for Labour Charles Okello Engola by his body guard Wilson Sabiiti on May 2, the gunning down of self-styled V-logger Ibrahim Tusubira, aka Isma Olaxes, on May 6 as he approached his residence in Kyanja central zone.

Other gun violence incidents cited in the report are the shooting dead of businessman of Asian origin Utta Bhandari by police officer John Wabwire on May 12, the killing of a paralegal officer Ronnie Mukisa on May 30 at his Makindye home, and the killing of a security officer Moses Okedi by his colleague John Okudi following a disagreement in Tororo Municipality.

“The ULS condemns the outright abuse of the right to life by the police officers and security agents in disregard of the law,” the report states.

The lawyers, among others, recommended that Parliament passes the minimum wage Bill since the money factor has been cited as one of the biggest causes of gun violence, and also the need to revive community police policing.

The report also cited violation of the right to freedom of assembly when the intern doctors and a section of Makerere students were brutally arrested by security during demonstrations, the violent raid on the residence of Sheikh Yunus Kamoga, overcrowding in prisons and threats and intimidation of judicial officers and advocates in the exercise of their duties.

The positives

However, all was not gloom in the report. The lawyers hailed the payroll validation and verification exercise of civil servants to weed out ghosts, commencement of the hearing of Dr Kizza Besigye’s preventive house arrest case by the Uganda Human Rights Commission and recruitment of several judicial officers.