The Uganda police Force has announced new measures meant to address recent murders and land wrangles in Lwengo district.
In the last few weeks, several dead bodies have been discovered by residents, causing panic that the area was no longer safe. In a period of 3 months, six women and children have been murdered in what is suspected to be ritual sacrifices.
According to Emiliyan Kayima the police spokesperson, a team of senior officers led by AIGP Asan Kasingye, went to Lwengo on Thursday 8th November 2018 to address this issue.
The team learnt during the visit, that Lwengo has more than 2000 shrines many of which are suspected to be run by quack healers engaged in commission of crime.
Many of them could be involved in fraudulent deals and many residents have lost their wealth due to the tricks practiced by these suspected traditional healers” the team says.
During a security meeting, the police officers together with the district security committee agreed on a number of measures to curb the crime and these include;
egistration of all residents by LC 1 leaders in partnership with the district team. “This will also ensure that those who have shrines will be identified and registered. All traditional healers in the district will be profiled for security purposes” the team decided.
The team also says homicide officers on ground already started on the exercise of revisiting and revising the six files in which lives were lost. And that police hopes to help local authorities to apprehend the suspects, leading to successful prosecution.
Police also promised to improve on patrol systems put in place, supported by the recent innovation of the counter telephone contacts. Also, that land related matters will be improved through sensitization and investigation of land related frauds.
“We shall continue to review the exercise. The operation to crack down on this nature of crime is ongoing as some traditional healers are being investigated” police says.
