Lira, Mbarara, Arua top crime-hit districts

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Just 22,000 out of the 73,000 cases that progressed to prosecution resulted in conviction, 1,000-plus individuals were acquitted while more than 90,000 cases were still under inquiry by the end of last year.

Kampala. Five districts whose municipalities are to be upgraded to city status next year have been ranked among areas with the highest crime rates in the country.
The 2018 Annual Crime and Traffic Safety Report released yesterday shows that police recorded the highest cases in Lira District with 6,726 cases.

It was followed by Mbarara with 5,262 cases and Arua with 4,961.
Both Arua and Mbarara, which are currently municipalities, have been named by government for elevation to cities starting next year.
Ntungamo and Katwe Division in Makindye Division, Kampala, came fourth and fifth with 4,731 cases and 3943 cases, respectively.

Police reported that Mbale, whose municipality is to morph into a city in 2021, registered 3,940 cases and ranked sixth followed by Omoro.
Omoro residents filed 3,844 cases but it remained unclear how many of these were investigated or resolved. Gulu followed in eighth position.
Jinja, which used to rank among the top 10 districts with the highest crime rate, registered lower incidents. It was in 11th position.

The Inspector General of Police, Mr Martins Okoth-Ochola, said crime generally reduced by 5.2 percentage point last year.
“The year 2018 saw a decrease in the volume of crime by 5.2 [percentage point] where 238,746 cases were registered compared to 252,065 cases in 2017,” he said.
Just 22,000 out of the 73,000 cases that progressed to prosecution resulted in conviction, 1,000-plus individuals were acquitted while more than 90,000 cases were still under inquiry by the end of last year.

Police also reported that there was an increase in homicide, sex-related crimes, break-ins, robbery, political and media crimes and narcotic cases.
Ms Grace Akullo, the director of Criminal Investigations, said common assault cases topped crimes followed by defilement.
At least 29,735 and 5,366 assault and defilement cases, respectively were registered last year countrywide.
Homicide cases last year increased by half a percentage point to 4,497, up from the year before.

Top in homicide
Mbarara has the highest homicide cases with 138 cases followed by Arua with 106 cases.
Slightly under half of the 8,826 people who died in Uganda were murdered while nearly 3,000 were victims of traffic accidents and more than 1,000 just dropped dead suddenly.
Thirty-three individuals were electrocuted, about 30 poisoned, 17 burnt to death and about two dozen were victims of rash and negligence.