A joint security team of personnel from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces -UPDF and the police’s Anti-Stock Theft Unit -ASTU have recaptured 41 of the inmates who had escaped from Moroto Prison.
In September 2020, over 224 inmates escaped from the Moroto government prison with 14 guns belonging to prison warders and wardresses. The inmates included military deserters, warriors, and other armed suspects who had just been remanded to the facility.
But the ongoing forceful disarmament exercise in Karamoja, Sebei, and other parts of Northern Uganda has led to the arrest of the escapees who had since joined warriors terrorizing the locals for their cattle, sheep, and goats.
Frank Baine, the Uganda Prisons Service -UPS Spokesperson said the new arrests have brought the number of recaptured escapees to 134. This means 77 prisoners are yet to be recaptured since 13 were shot and killed by joint forces during the operations to return them to jail.
Baine added that forces in the Karamoja area have also helped the Uganda Prisons Service to recover nine out of the 14 guns that the escapees had varnished with. Baine said they are optimistic that even the yet-to-be-recaptured escapees will be arrested and returned to jail if they are still alive.
Meanwhile, UPDF Spokesperson Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye said that 654 warriors have been shot and killed in the last 17 months and that forces have arrested 21,751 cattle rustlers and also recovered 652 guns so far.
“We have recovered 4,097 bullets, charged and prosecuted 686 warriors and recovered 29,270 animals including cattle, goats, sheep, and donkeys. This operation Usalama Kwa Wote has been successful,” Brig Gen Kulayigye said.
Baine explained that the third mastermind of the escape Solomon Egau was arrested a few days ago in a fire exchange in Soroti. He said the inmate was injured in the process but he is in the hospital receiving treatment.
