Mbarara tops with murder cases

Mbarara, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID is to study the persistent number of murder cases in Mbarara district.

The CID Director, Grace Akullo recently observed that Mbarara district has continued registering a high number of murder cases since 2001. “The District of Mbarara continues to register high number of Homicide cases since 2011,” she said. Statistics on murders presented by Akullo, show that Mbarara topped in murders in 2018 with 138 cases, indicating that on average three people are killed each week.

Unlike other districts where the statistics keep changing, when it comes to murders and robberies, Mbarara has remained in the first or second position for the last five years. It is only 2015 where only 95 cases were reported in Mbarara. More than 100 murder cases were recorded in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. For instance, 138 killings were registered in 2018, 107 cases in 2017, 110 cases in 2016, 95 in 2015 and 100 in 2014. 

Similarly, over 1,500 robberies were registered in Mbarara between 2014 and 2018 meaning six robberies are recorded on a weekly basis. In 2018, 2017 and 2016, Mbarara came second in robberies after Lira, Arua and Kiryandongo districts.

In 2018, Mbarara came second with 333 robbery cases after Arua that topped with 343 cases. In 2017 Mbarara was second to Lira with 272 cases while in 2016 Mbarara was second to Kiryandongo with 110 cases of robbery.

In 2016, five bodies were picked within Mbarara town within a space of two days. The victims were identified as Justus Twinomujuni and Fred Musinguzi. They were shot dead, hacked and strangled, according to police that collected the bodies from Lake Mburo National Park and Kakyeka Stadium.

In February 2015, a gunman shot four people dead inside a bar, an incident that was described as crime of passion. The incident happened at a bar in Lugazi cell in Mbarara town. The quartet was shot at around 1:00 hours when a thug dressed in police like jacket pumped bullets into revelers at Mama Nahweraza.

Police identified the victims as Suzan Namuyimba, Innocent Kajumba, Doreen Mbabazi and Ahumuza Bwekingo

*****

URN