Collapse of communal security systems fueling crime, say RDCs

By URN

THE growing insecurity in parts of Kampala and Wakiso district has been blamed on the laxity by village councils to implement communal security systems, coupled with challenges of unemployment and poverty.

Kampala Resident District Commissioner Hud Hussein says that village leaders are expected to have active security committees, consisting of the secretary for defence, the chairman and the local defence units, a village register with particulars of all residents, and village identity cards.

They are also expected to hold regular village meetings to discuss security issues and threats and ensure that residents are aware of their security responsibilities and the need to fight crime in their respective areas. However, these measures have largely been abandoned, exposing communities to wrong elements who maraud uncontrollably around villages.

Hussein says that instead, local leaders, including the chairmen are conniving to harbour wrong elements within their villages, and have surrendered the responsibility of being the first point of contact in the search of criminals at the village level.

Hud Hussein also faults parents and the community for abandoning their mandate in raising responsible and God-fearing children.

Similarly, Kira  Resident District Commissioner Richard Bwabye says the village chairpersons are becoming a stumbling block in efforts to curb insecurity in the communities. He cited an incident in Kasokoso in which 29 people were arrested for causing insecurity in the area.

According to Bwabye, the majority of the people who were arrested were young people aged between 18 and 30, all of them known to the village leaders who never wanted to divulge details about them prior to their arrest. He however decries the growing levels of unemployment as a contributing factor to insecurity.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire says that fighting crime requires collaboration from the village leaders and the entire security chain as opposed to a  blame game of who is not playing their role.

An analysis of the recent police crime reports released by Uganda Police rated Kampala and parts of Wakiso as dangerous to live in due to the high crime rates, Although there was a reported decrease of 8.9 per cent in the volume of crimes reported to Police from 215,224 cases reported in 2019 to 195,931 cases reported in 2020.

The decrease in crimes in 2020 was largely attributed to the total lockdown of the country between March and June 2020 in order to curb the spread of Covid-19, Government investment in anti-crime infrastructure like the CCTV installation, Continued community sensitisation against engaging in crime and Heightened operations targeting criminal hideouts and places where suspected stolen property is sold.