KAMPALA. As security moves in to curb the raising cases of criminality in Greater Kampala area , more than 130 suspected criminals have been arrested in a joint security operation .
The overnight operation, conducted on Monday, October 27, targeted areas with rising cases of robberies and house break-ins, including Nagalama Town, Katwe Division, Bulindo, Nalya, and Namugongo in Kiira Municipality.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango, additional arrests were made in Mbalala, Nakapyini, and Nasuti in Nama Sub-county, Mukono Central Division, as well as Maganjo-Janjawaza, Kawanda-Kirinyabigo, and Tula-Mugalu zones in Kawempe Division.
“During the operation, security agencies recovered smoking opium, sharp and blunt objects, and impounded seven motorcycles which thugs were using as a means of transport,” Mr Onyango said.
He added that the coordinated effort between the police, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), and local leaders was key to the operation’s success.
In the breakdown, Nsangi Police Station arrested 62 suspects, Kakiri Police Station netted 28, Mukono Police Station detained 14, and Kawempe Police Station arrested 26 suspects.
Mr Onyango explained that the operations followed a surge in public complaints about night robberies and break-ins by machete-wielding gangs, which have recently terrorized residents in parts of Namugongo, Old Kampala, Nansana, and Kawempe Division since April.
The gangs have been targeting homes in densely populated urban neighborhoods, including both middle- and working-class areas.
The 2024 Annual Police Crime Report shows a slight decrease in housebreaking cases, with 3,019 incidents recorded, compared to 3,329 cases in 2023. The Rwizi Region reported the highest number of break-ins with 2,772 cases, followed by Kampala Metropolitan North, which registered 235 incidents.
Police have pledged to maintain heightened patrols and intensified community vigilance to curb criminal activity in Kampala and its surrounding districts.