Police officer cited in Rakai armed robberies flees

Police in Rakai district are hunting for one of their officers after he was pinned for collaborating with armed robbers to terrorise residents. 

The officer in question, Lance Corporal Kassim Okiror a Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcement officer, is one of the most trusted officers at Mutukula. 

It is suspected that thugs were hiring Okiror's gun to rob and terrorise residents in different communities at night. 

However, Hashim Kasinga, the District Police Commander, said they are looking for him to help in the ongoing investigations. 

He added that Okiror's AK47 rifle No. 49002163 was discovered with one bullet in its chamber on Tuesday. Two magazines are still missing though. 

Kasinga said that it is the same gun that was used to kill Charles Ssenkaali of Matale village during the most recent robbery in Kalisizo town council. 

It is said that Ssenkaali was purportedly attacked by unidentified gunmen on the night of 31^stDecember 2016 who made away with his gun and two magazines.

But sceptics within Police claim he willingly gave out his gun to Anthony Sserwadda (18) a key suspect in illicit activities before he disappeared. 

Maurice Niyonzima, the officer in charge of Mutukula Police Station, said it is still unclear why Okiror disappeared after the incident instead of making a formal statement recounting the whole incident. 

"He may have disappeared because of fear or because he was involved in wrong doing. It is still complicated and we are looking for him to explain circumstances under which the gun disappeared" he said. 

He also said that they are investigating a racket of thugs perpetrating border crimes under the command of Sserwadda. 

On Tuesday last week, Police intercepted Sserwadda and his accomplices in possession of the gun. However, they abandoned it and fled to Tanzania. 

Residents in Mutukula town board told New Vision that majority of night-duty policemen get drunk, an advantage criminals use to wreak havoc in communities. 

They added that most of the entrepreneurs have left Mutukula fearing to lose their property and money. 

However, Mutukula business community has been advised to always keep huge sum of money in the bank to avoid being robbed. 

Robberies 

Since the year begun, Rakai has witnessed several robberies leaving residents worried and the business communities at a great loss. 

The robberies mainly occurred in Mutukula, Kyotera and Kalisizo and other places in a space of one week. 

In these incidents, the robbers would storm big retail and hardware shops and stores, fire at people indiscriminately before robbing them of their cash.  

At least a total of more than sh70m is said to have been lost in the robberies while one person was killed and 8 people admitted in critical condition. 

The survivors include Moses Bukenya (19) a resident of Kalisizo, Henry Mulindwa (19) and Godfrey Serunjogi (40) of Nkoko village in Kirumba, and others. 

In a meantime, Police is holding seven suspects in connection with the robberies. 

Border security 

Police beefed up security at Mutukula border with intensified foot and car patrols. Also check points have been set to search and apprehend criminals. 

"It is very easy for the criminals to cross to Tanzania and Uganda due to some unidentified entry points" Niyonzima explained.

He further added that they are liaising with Tanzanian authorities to arrest Sserwadda and his accomplices. 

"Tanzania already arrested one suspect identified as Abdul Karim and we are very sure that our cooperation with Tanzania will help us catch Sserwadda and other fugitives" he said.