UPC hails decline in crime, urges stronger police-community ties

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The Uganda People’s Congress has commended the Uganda Police Force for the reduction in crime rates in the country, according to the Annual Crime Report for 2025 released on March 30, 2026.

The report registered a decrease of 10.2% in the volume of crimes reported to police in 2025 compared to 2024, which had decreased by 4.1%.

Speaking at the UPC weekly press conference at the party headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday (April 1), Faisal Muzeyi, communication officer, said the Uganda Police Force and sister security agencies should not relax because of these statistics.

“If Police is to effectively enforce law and order in our respective communities, it should prioritise restoring its working relationship with the community to step up intelligence and confidence,” Muzeyi said.

He explained that this is one of the ways to reduce crime, as it guarantees real-time and accurate information.

“As a party, we call upon all the respective authorities to equally educate the people on the necessity of timely reporting of crime as well as preserving the crime scenes in an orderly manner without interference. This will ease the work of investigators and prosecution easier as credible evidence will be made available,” he asserted.

He added that achieving sanity in communities requires a multisectoral approach and appealed to central and local governments to work hand in hand with various agencies, as well as the judiciary, to ensure a stable and harmonious society. 

"Justice delayed is justice denied. It is now general knowledge in the public domain that the Uganda Police Force needs more staffing to improve efficiency and effectiveness, which would help prevent delays in justice," he added.

According to the standard, one police officer should serve 500 people. However, in the current situation, one officer serves over 1,000 people, and is expected to handle an average of 12 cases, he alluded.

The UPC called upon the government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure that the Uganda Police Force is adequately staffed and facilitated with the right tools for efficiency and timely service delivery.

On land issues, he said land titles are forged, and money changes hands in dubious ways at the expense of ordinary citizens, leading to frequent evictions across the country, while courts remain burdened with resolving land disputes.

He explained that in the Acholi sub-region, land remains a sensitive issue, requiring a presidential directive to calm the situation and enable people to continue with their daily activities.

He noted that the land question must be resolved fairly and that ordinary citizens must be protected in their property rights.

Easter holidays

UPC urged Christian brothers and sisters across the world to observe the Easter holidays, well aware that the journey to this point reflects the suffering of Jesus Christ, who endured torture and crucifixion, with the promise of resurrection and salvation.

“We need to be humble, kind and humane towards each other. We have to offer leadership that uplifts society, live in harmony and love one another. We must desist from greed and corruption, which is a recipe for primitive accumulation of capital and at the same time ruining the development of our country.”