In the recent past, we have registered deaths in Lwengo district that caused panic and called for police immediate action. Indeed, on Thursday November 8th, 2018, a team of senior police officers from police headquarters headed by AIGP Asan Kasingye headed to Lwengo to address the murders in the district. So far, six women and children have been murdered in what is highly suspected to be ritual sacrifice in a period of 3 months.
The team appreciated the problem, got the local leaders on board and held discussions with the district security committee in the district.
We learnt that Lwengo has over 2000 shrines many of which are highly suspected to be manned by quack healers who are engaged in commission of crime. Many of them could be involved in fraudulent deals and many residents have lost a lot of their wealth due to the tricks practiced by these suspected traditional healers.
As a result, the team together with the District Security Committee agreed on the following measures to curb the crimes.
- All residents will be registered. The district team will team up with the chairpersons of local council one (LC1) to accomplish this task. This will also ensure that those who have shrines will be identified and registered. All traditional healers in the district will be profiled for security purposes.
- The homicide teams on ground already started in the exercise of revisiting and reviewing the six files in which lives were lost. We hope to support the local team in apprehending the suspects leading to successful prosecution.
- It was also agreed that we shall reduce communication between leaders and citizens through community policing initiatives as well as encouraging community focused baras in at the local council one level. Ignorance of the law and roles of stakeholders was found to be a huge impediment to progress.
- It was equally agreed that citizens in the district be mobilized to work because most of them are engaged in irresponsible and risky lifestyles. This squarely follows on the shoulders of local leaders and individual responsibility by the members of these communities.
- There is going to be improved patrol systems put in place supported by the recent innovation of the counter telephone contacts.
- Land related matters will be improved through sensitization and investigation of land related frauds. The department of Land Protection was on ground to equally access the danger and address it appropriately.
We shall continue to review the exercise. The operation to crack down on this nature of crime is ongoing as some traditional healers are being investigated.
SSP Emilian Kayima,
Public Relations Officer
UGANDA POLICE FORCE
