Soldier’s wife nabbed with live bullets

May 09, 2009

A UPDF soldier’s wife suspected to be part of a racket supplying bullets from Karamoja to robbers in Kampala and Jinja has been arrested in Mbale.

By Olandason Wanyama

A UPDF soldier’s wife suspected to be part of a racket supplying bullets from Karamoja to robbers in Kampala and Jinja has been arrested in Mbale.

Andiru Irene, 30, was on Thursday nabbed with military uniforms, 41 live bullets, five mobile phones, 16 ATM cards and sh2m. The army spokesperson in eastern Uganda, Lt. Ceaser Olweny, said the army trailed Andiru from Moroto and arrested her in Nakaloke, a suburb in Mbale, as she headed for Kampala. They then detained her at Mbale Police Station.

Olweny said the suspect will be tried in a court martial because her case involves fire arms. She will be charged with unlawful possession of military ware.

Andiru is married to a soldier attached to Moroto army barracks. The husband has also been arrested to help with investigations, according to one soldier who preferred anonymity.

Lt. Olweny said the woman is suspected to be part of a racket that has been selling bullets and uniforms to thugs in Kampala and Jinja. He suspects that a number of women in Kakoliye, a Moroto slum that Andiru frequents, are involved in the bullets business.

We are disarming in Karamoja and most of the natives have abandoned the gun. That is why these people are resorting to selling the bullets outside the region,” he said.

Guns proliferated in the Karamoja region during the 1980s and 1990s after warriors who hitherto used arrows and home-made guns got access to better weapons from civil wars in Uganda, Sudan and Somalia. Until recently, in most parts of Karamoja bullets were sold like beans in local markets and also used in barter trade to purchase goods.

In 2004 Government started disarming the warriors by persuading them to hand over their guns and forceful disarmament on those who refuse to cooperate. To-date, more than 26,000 guns have been recovered by the security organs or voluntarily handed in. However some warriors are still armed.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});