Uganda grapples with new spate of murders

Source: Xinhua| 2019-09-11 20:26:29|Editor: xuxin
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KAMPALA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is grappling with a new spate of murders and serious crimes around the capital Kampala and neighboring areas.

The country's President Yoweri Museveni attributes the increased crime to among others negligence of law enforcement officers, the court system and inferior technology in tracking down the criminals.

In about a week, six people were murdered in the central part of the east African country.

There has been a lull in murders since Museveni last year announced what he called sweeping measures to fight serious crimes across the country. The announcement of the measures followed the murder of two senior police officers, a state prosecutor, a legislator, among others.

Among the measures included installation of surveillance cameras across the city and neighboring areas and recruitment and deployment of more security personnel.

Cameras and the security personnel have been deployed but the murders have surged.

Museveni in a statement issued late on Tuesday said all police officers who have been found negligent in following up the recent murders have been arrested.

"I have directed that all involved must be tried, sentenced, punished and dismissed from the police. Moreover they should never work in any government department ever, again," Museveni said.

The president said as government deals with negligent police officers, laws must be made stringent such that criminals found guilty of murder must also face the death penalty.

"You may commit a crime, carelessly taking away the lives of others; however, you will also lose your own life. We need to make this clear to the courts. It must be an eye for an eye," he said.

He said there are instances where courts have set free criminals facing murder charges. The criminals resort to killing more people.

Museveni said this tantamounts to promotion of criminality by the courts of law.

"We need to work on the courts. They need to move quickly on the cases of murder, rape and terrorism, the big backlog of cases notwithstanding," he said.

"The punishment must also be severe, including the hanging of killers," he added.

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