Worry as 33 people are killed in Kigezi in one month
Kigezi region police spokesperson, Mr Elly Maate
A total of 33 killings have been recorded in Kigezi Sub-region for the month of September, creating fear among residents.
Kigezi Sub-region comprises six districts of Kabale, Kisoro, Rubanda, Kanungu, Rukungiri and Rukiga.
The regional police spokesperson, Mr Elly Maate, on Monday said 24 of the cases were of homicide, five were due to hit and run accidents and two were of sudden death, One case was of drowning and one of arson.
“Domestic violence, drug abuse and land conflicts are the major causes of murder in Kigezi. The police have been able to arrest all the suspects in the registered cases and this itself is a deterrence measure,” said Mr Maate.
“We have also intensified community policing and we encourage people to denounce crime and live in harmony with each other,” he added.
He attributed fatal road accidents to reckless driving by motorists and cyclists.
Mr Deusdedit Mugasha and Mr Boaz Tiwangye, both residents of Kabale Town, attributed the rising killings in the region to the current economic crisis that has escalated domestic violence.
“Because of high commodity prices resulting from the current economic hardships, some youth holding machetes waylay individuals they suspect to be having some money, beat them up before robbing them of their valuable properties,” Mr Tiwangye said.
“There is a need for police patrols, especially during night hours, so that the offenders are detected and arrested for the good of the community members that are currently living in fear,” Mr Mugasha said.
The Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Mr Godfrey Nyakahuma, last Thursday said at least two to three criminal cases are recorded every night in the area as the thugs take advantage of the darkness to attack people.
He added that the breakdown of the street lights in Kabale Town has rendered police surveillance cameras ineffective in the fight against crime.
“But the good thing is that through our intelligence networks, we have managed to arrest about 17 suspected criminals that are yet to be aligned in courts of law for prosecution,” Mr Nyakahuma said.
The Kanungu Resident District Commissioner, Mr Ambrose Amanyire, said besides enhancing community policing, his office has opted to expedite the prosecution of suspected offenders to avoid registering cases of mob action.
RECENT INCIDENTS
The most recent killing is of Posiano Mbabazi, 50, a resident of Nyakazinga Village in Nyarushanje Sub-county, Rukungiri District, who was on Sunday found dead in his house. Police suspect that he was strangled. Another case is of Front Hategimana, 19, a resident of Musezero Village in Nyundo Sub-county, Kisoro, who was stabbed to death by his wife following a misunderstanding.
