There were 1,095 cases of assault resulting in death, followed by aggravated domestic violence with 376 cases, and 373 strangulations. Additionally, a total of 321 people were shot dead during the year, and 759 people were killed through mob action.
An average of 11 lives were lost each day in 2021,
according to an annual crime police report compiled by the Criminal
Investigations Directorate. Altogether, 3, 912 lives were lost during
the year through assault, poisoning, arson, shooting, domestic violence
or mob action.
There were 1,095 cases of assault
resulting in death, followed by aggravated domestic violence with 376
cases, and 373 strangulations. Additionally, a total of 321 people were
shot dead during the year, and 759 people were killed through mob
action.
"By the end of 2021, a total
of 759 cases of murder by mob action were reported compared to 540 cases reported in 2020, indicating an increase of 40.5 per cent. 762 persons were lynched and 303 cases of shooting were reported during the period under review
compared to 249 cases reported
in 2020, showing a 21.6 per cent increase," the report shows.
Mbarara District registered the highest
number of cases of murder by strangulation in 2021, followed by Kitagwenda, Lwengo, Kamwenge, Kyegegwa, Kikuube, Kagadi, Rubanda and Luwero. Mbarara District also had the highest number of cases of murder by assault, while Kotido district had the highest cases of murder by shooting, followed by Napak, Kaabong and Nabilatuk, Moroto, Kassanda, Old Kampala Division, Karenga, Mbarara and Kiryandongo.
The report equally shows that murder as a result of domestic violence was registered highest in Moyo District, followed by Kakumiro, Lira, Ntungamo and Oyam.
While
launching the report at the Police headquarters in Naguru this morning,
Major Tom Magambo, the Director of the Criminal Investigations
Directorate said that the year 2021 was particularly challenging in
terms of maintaining law and order throughout the country by the police
force. He, however, explains that the force is planning a centralized
database to aid investigations.
//Cue in; “we should start to…
Cue out… think on ways."//
The
Inspector-General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola, highlights the
challenges, strategies and recommendations that the Uganda Police Force
intends to adopt in fighting crime. Ochola adds that crimes slightly
creased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
”Generally, in
the year 2021, there was a 0.1 per cent increase in the volume of crimes
reported to police from 195, 931 cases reported in the year 2020 to
196,081 cases reported in the year 2021. These crime trends were greatly
influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the subsequent opening
of all sectors of the economy. Ochola said”.
Meanwhile,
the report shows a slight decline in cases of domestic violence with
17,533 cases reported to the Police during the year, compared to 17,664
reported in 2020. The victims included 3,103 adult males, 12,877
females, 871 male
juveniles and 702 female juveniles. Similarly, the police recorded a 4
per cent decline in cases of threatening violence with 10,408 cases by
the end of 2021, compared to 10,844 cases in 2020.
Mugisha James
Freelancer