Armed robbery cases are on the rise in Kakumiro district
Residents in Kakumiro district are up in arms against the police over the surging cases of robbery in the area. Residents accuse police of doing nothing to stop gunmen staging attacks in various parts of the district.
According to the residents, about ten robberies have occurred in the district since March this year where some business people have lost millions of shillings and merchandise.
They now want an explanation from the top police management on why robbery cases have persisted in the area. Jolly Katusiime, a resident of Kakindo sub-county says that most of the officers are not at their duty stations during night hours.
Jane Businge, a resident of Mpasana sub-county faults the top police management in the Albertine for failing to monitor and supervise their juniors, saying the officers work at their own pace.
Christopher Byarufu, a resident of Katikara sub-county wonders why no single suspect has been arrested in connection to all the robberies that have taken place since March this year, saying there could be a big loophole in security. Rose Ahebwa, a businesswoman in Kakindo sub-county, says that most police officers deployed in the area are too old to respond to emergencies. She wants the police management to deploy young energetic officers who can swiftly respond to emergencies.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police spokesperson has called on the residents to stay calm, saying joint intelligence teams comprising the police, CMI and the Uganda Peoples Defence forces-UPDF are on the ground doing all it takes to track down the suspects.
Several robbery cases have taken place in Kakumiro district from the beginning of this year. The latest case occurred over the weekend when eight armed thugs raided the home of Lira University lecturer and robbed him of Shillings 5million.
The gunmen stormed the residence of Moses Kaahwa in Nyabakande Cell in Rukunyu ward, Kakindo town council in Kakumiro district around 2 am on Saturday and robbed him at gunpoint. On October 17, 2021, three armed thugs robbed a businesswoman in Kakumiro district Shillings 4million. The gunmen raided a hardware shop belonging to Justine Kesande in Kikora trading center in Kikora parish in Kikora sub-county and placed her at gunpoint.
They ordered her to surrender all the money she had in her possession to them in vain. The gunmen fired several bullets in the air, which prompted her to surrender a bag containing Shillings 4million. In September, three armed thugs raided a mobile money agent and electronics shop in Kakumiro district and made off with 30 smartphones and an unspecified amount of money.
The thugs stormed the shop in Mwitanzige trading center in Mwitanzige sub-county around 9 pm. They first approached Denis Bagonza, a mobile money agent pretending to be customers before they placed him at gunpoint and ordered him to surrender whatever he had. They later stormed an electronics shop belonging to Yasin Baryankoraki, whom they also placed at gunpoint and ordered him to surrender all smartphones in the shop.
In March 2021, four armed robbers attacked a Centenary bank agent in Kakumiro district robbing an unspecified amount of money. In October 2020, armed thugs raided Kakumiro district and robbed Shillings 16 million from a businesswoman in Kuhuna Trading Centre.
The six thugs, armed with a gun raided a shop owned by Margret Basemera and held her at gunpoint before ordering her to surrender all the money in her possession. The robbery took place around 9 pm in Kisiita West Cell, Central ward, Kisiita Town Council Kakumiro district. However, no single suspect has been apprehended in connection to these cases.
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