KAMPALA: President Museveni has said the country is faced with the rising spate of kidnaps and other criminal cases because police is still using very rudimentary methods in investigations.
Speaking at the thanksgiving ceremony for Kampala Minister Beti Kamya on Sunday, the President said many perpetrators of crime are not complicated but rather the police method of investigations is poor.
“The criminals aren’t so powerful like the police and this means that they can easily be defeated because they are actually known. However, the problem is that police is still using traditional methods of investigations by basing on hearsay hence failing to get criminals. When Kaweesi was murdered, I told you that police had been infiltrated by criminals. There are still kawukumi (weevil) which they have failed to eliminate,” the President during the function at Martyrs Church in Nateete, Rubaga Division.
The President’s remarks come on the backdrop of increasing cases of kidnaps and robbery. Since last year, there have been over 10 widely publicized cases of people who have been kidnapped and even killed, while others are still missing.
In 2017, 24 kidnap cases were reported to police, 15 were rescued, while eight are still missing. In February, six people were kidnapped and still are missing.
The highlight was this year’s kidnap and murder of Susan Magara even after her family paid hundreds of millions of shillings in ransom.
However, Mr Museveni said crime is high in the city because of a high population but said this will be solved over cameras are installed in the entire city.
“I want to assure you that urban crime will be no more. For instance we have held key suspects in the murder of Susan Magara and the other one is in South Africa. After installing CCTV cameras, we shall be able to effectively monitor crime,” he said.
Parliament recently approved Shs60b, which will be used to purchase CCTV cameras.
Last week, the President summoned the Inspector General of Police, Martins Okoth-Ochola to explain the recent spike in cases of kidnaps across the country.
Sources privy to the Tuesday meeting at State House Entebbe told us the President demanded answers from the IGP on who is behind the crimes.
At the Sunday function, the President lashed at civil servants for seeking to enhance their salaries yet the country still has many unemployed people. He urged them to support informal sector groups so as to boost their income levels hence fighting poverty.
He pledged Shs1b towards the construction of the new church.
