CRIME REPORT
Apr 03, 2008
Defilement and child and drug trafficking are on the increase, while homicide (murder) reduced over the past one year, the Police said yesterday.
By Raymond Baguma and Michael Odeng
Defilement and child and drug trafficking are on the increase, while homicide (murder) reduced over the past one year, the Police said yesterday.
Many guardians of defilement victims connive with the suspects to deny them justice, the Police chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, added.
“Related to this, children are being exploited for economic gain through trafficking.â€
Kayihura was speaking at the Police headquarters in Kampala where he launched the 2007 crime report.
A total of 54 children were kidnapped, abducted, stolen, or went missing, the report said. Of these, seven were rescued, nine are still missing, while three were killed.
The whereabouts of 40 children is unknown. Some 39 of them were taken from rural areas.
Sixty-two cases were described as child thefts for which 37 suspects were arrested.
Kayihura said Uganda was a transit point and destination for heroine and cocaine pushers from Afghanistan and Iran who target Kampala students.
“I thought growing marijuana was only in Busia but we are seeing it in Kampala.â€
Moreover, anti-narcotics laws are too lenient for the Police to combat the problem, added Kayihura.
“Our laws allow suspected drug traffickers automatic access to bail and the fines are small compared to the money got from trafficking.â€
Kayihura also blamed the rise in the theft of mobile phones and laptops on international crime rackets. A total of 77 mobile phones were stolen daily, or 2,300 monthly from countries such as Finland and Sweden.
“We are working with local mobile telephone service providers to combat the thefts,†he said.
Although incidents of obtaining money by false pretence by conmen (bafere) had reduced in the last two years, money lost from such transactions was high, Kayihura said.
“The crime syndicates operating the bafere racket are our prime target.â€
Theft of electric wire cables and rail slippers, which are exported to India and China, was also on the rise, he noted.
The Police, Kayihura added, lacked the capacity to respond to offences by media houses, particularly radio stations, which incite the public through political talk-shows.
The enforcement of traffic laws and regulations also remains a challenge with many people perishing in accidents.
For instance, a senior traffic Police officer, Stephen Kasiima, was this week punched by a motorist on Entebbe Road.
According to the report, of the 153,924 crimes reported in 2007, Kampala accounted for 23%, rural areas 45%, and the other urban centres 32%.
Last year, the number of crimes fell down compared to the previous year, while the management of criminal cases by the courts of law also improved.
For instance, murder cases decreased by 29% from 2,696 in 2006 to 1,927 in 2007.
On a monthly average, 12,831 crimes were reported last year compared to 18,600 in 2006, reflecting a 31% reduction.
Kayihura attributed this to improved Police vigilance and the restructuring of the CID.
Starting this month, the Police will launch a programme to encourage community policing to curb violent crime, he said.
Defilement
A total 12,230 defilement cases were reported last year compared to 15,385 in 2006.
Some 8,354 cases were committed in rural areas, compared to 3,876 in urban areas. The majority of the victims (11,999) were aged 9 to 17 years, while 231 were 0 to 8 years old. Most of them were students on holiday, dependents in homes, or the destitute.
Accidents
A total of 1,326 accidents occurred at night, 5,005 in the morning, 6,703 in the afternoon and 4,394 in the evenings. Most car crashes occurred in the afternoons. The Police attributed this to heavy traffic flow at that time.
A total of 2,334 people died in fatal accidents in 2007 compared to 2,171 persons in 2006, a rise of 7.5%. Of these, 1,003 were pedestrians, 712 passengers, 296 cyclists, 198 motorcyclists and 112 drivers.
The Police blamed the deaths on careless driving, speeding, careless pedestrians and motorcyclists.
The Kampala-Jinja highway had 128 fatal accidents, which killed 166 persons. The Kampala-Masaka highway had 103 accidents in which 140 persons died.
The Kampala-Entebbe highway had 79 fatal cases, with 106 persons dead. Kampala-Gulu road recorded 64 cases with 56 persons dead.
Land
The Police have received many complaints on land matters and a special unit has been established at the CID headquarters to handle them. Such desks will be set up across the country.
Most land issues relate to illegal evictions, trespass, forgery and impersonation.
Crime by district
Makindye Division in Kampala recorded the highest number of crimes (14,678).
Kampala Central Division had 5,858, Jinja 6,151, Gulu district had 4,584, while Mukono registered 4,345. The least affected areas were Butaleja, Nakapiripirit, Kaabong, Yumbe and Bukwo districts.
Narcotics
The Police seized 1.34kgs of heroine seven of them in Entebbe, while 55kgs of cannabis seeds were impounded in Masaka.
Another 230kgs of cannabis were seized from various parts of the country and 80 acres of cannabis plants worth sh200m were destroyed in Busia district.
Stolen vehicles
A total of 620 motor-vehicles were stolen, with 27 robbed from the owners. The Police recovered 256 vehicles, while 391 are still missing.
Most thefts occurred in parking yards and washing bays, with the connivance of drivers, and taken to the DR Congo and South Sudan.
A total of 1,223 motorcycles were stolen and 392 robbed.
The Police recovered 415 and 1,200 are still missing.
Defilement and child and drug trafficking are on the increase, while homicide (murder) reduced over the past one year, the Police said yesterday.
Many guardians of defilement victims connive with the suspects to deny them justice, the Police chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, added.
“Related to this, children are being exploited for economic gain through trafficking.â€
Kayihura was speaking at the Police headquarters in Kampala where he launched the 2007 crime report.
A total of 54 children were kidnapped, abducted, stolen, or went missing, the report said. Of these, seven were rescued, nine are still missing, while three were killed.
The whereabouts of 40 children is unknown. Some 39 of them were taken from rural areas.
Sixty-two cases were described as child thefts for which 37 suspects were arrested.
Kayihura said Uganda was a transit point and destination for heroine and cocaine pushers from Afghanistan and Iran who target Kampala students.
“I thought growing marijuana was only in Busia but we are seeing it in Kampala.â€
Moreover, anti-narcotics laws are too lenient for the Police to combat the problem, added Kayihura.
“Our laws allow suspected drug traffickers automatic access to bail and the fines are small compared to the money got from trafficking.â€
Kayihura also blamed the rise in the theft of mobile phones and laptops on international crime rackets. A total of 77 mobile phones were stolen daily, or 2,300 monthly from countries such as Finland and Sweden.
“We are working with local mobile telephone service providers to combat the thefts,†he said.
Although incidents of obtaining money by false pretence by conmen (bafere) had reduced in the last two years, money lost from such transactions was high, Kayihura said.
“The crime syndicates operating the bafere racket are our prime target.â€
Theft of electric wire cables and rail slippers, which are exported to India and China, was also on the rise, he noted.
The Police, Kayihura added, lacked the capacity to respond to offences by media houses, particularly radio stations, which incite the public through political talk-shows.
The enforcement of traffic laws and regulations also remains a challenge with many people perishing in accidents.
For instance, a senior traffic Police officer, Stephen Kasiima, was this week punched by a motorist on Entebbe Road.
According to the report, of the 153,924 crimes reported in 2007, Kampala accounted for 23%, rural areas 45%, and the other urban centres 32%.
Last year, the number of crimes fell down compared to the previous year, while the management of criminal cases by the courts of law also improved.
For instance, murder cases decreased by 29% from 2,696 in 2006 to 1,927 in 2007.
On a monthly average, 12,831 crimes were reported last year compared to 18,600 in 2006, reflecting a 31% reduction.
Kayihura attributed this to improved Police vigilance and the restructuring of the CID.
Starting this month, the Police will launch a programme to encourage community policing to curb violent crime, he said.
Defilement
A total 12,230 defilement cases were reported last year compared to 15,385 in 2006.
Some 8,354 cases were committed in rural areas, compared to 3,876 in urban areas. The majority of the victims (11,999) were aged 9 to 17 years, while 231 were 0 to 8 years old. Most of them were students on holiday, dependents in homes, or the destitute.
Accidents
A total of 1,326 accidents occurred at night, 5,005 in the morning, 6,703 in the afternoon and 4,394 in the evenings. Most car crashes occurred in the afternoons. The Police attributed this to heavy traffic flow at that time.
A total of 2,334 people died in fatal accidents in 2007 compared to 2,171 persons in 2006, a rise of 7.5%. Of these, 1,003 were pedestrians, 712 passengers, 296 cyclists, 198 motorcyclists and 112 drivers.
The Police blamed the deaths on careless driving, speeding, careless pedestrians and motorcyclists.
The Kampala-Jinja highway had 128 fatal accidents, which killed 166 persons. The Kampala-Masaka highway had 103 accidents in which 140 persons died.
The Kampala-Entebbe highway had 79 fatal cases, with 106 persons dead. Kampala-Gulu road recorded 64 cases with 56 persons dead.
Land
The Police have received many complaints on land matters and a special unit has been established at the CID headquarters to handle them. Such desks will be set up across the country.
Most land issues relate to illegal evictions, trespass, forgery and impersonation.
Crime by district
Makindye Division in Kampala recorded the highest number of crimes (14,678).
Kampala Central Division had 5,858, Jinja 6,151, Gulu district had 4,584, while Mukono registered 4,345. The least affected areas were Butaleja, Nakapiripirit, Kaabong, Yumbe and Bukwo districts.
Narcotics
The Police seized 1.34kgs of heroine seven of them in Entebbe, while 55kgs of cannabis seeds were impounded in Masaka.
Another 230kgs of cannabis were seized from various parts of the country and 80 acres of cannabis plants worth sh200m were destroyed in Busia district.
Stolen vehicles
A total of 620 motor-vehicles were stolen, with 27 robbed from the owners. The Police recovered 256 vehicles, while 391 are still missing.
Most thefts occurred in parking yards and washing bays, with the connivance of drivers, and taken to the DR Congo and South Sudan.
A total of 1,223 motorcycles were stolen and 392 robbed.
The Police recovered 415 and 1,200 are still missing.