Passengers halt bus journey from Kitgum over bad driving

 

Passengers from Kitgum this afternoon united and expressed their concern for their road safety by calling the police to rescue them from over speeding on a marram road.

HMK bus registration number UAK 921X from Kitgum was briefly detained outside Gulu Central Police Station for over speeding and reckless driving.

Kevin Atim, a passenger on the bus says the bus left Kitgum at around 11am but due to the humps on the road, the driver bumped into a raised hump without knowing leading to the bus swerving on the road.

She adds that they would have all perished at that speed had the bus driver failed to manage and bring the bus straight on the road. Some passengers feared for their lives and immediately called traffic police to stop the bus from continuing.

Stephen Mukasa, the bus driver pleaded with the police saying that the road from Paicho along Kitgum road is under construction with no road signs to direct him.

Mukasa claimed to be driving at 80km/hr. when he swerved off the road.

Donansio Opwonya, Gulu OC Traffic, issued an express penalty to the driver for reckless driving and warned the driver against over speeding on a marram road under construction that puts the lives of the passengers at risk.

Opwonya advised bus drivers to be more careful on roads under construction to avoid accident and urged them to listen to complaints from their passengers who keep them in business.

The OC traffic appreciated the passengers for caring for their lives and asked all those who use public means of transport to report bad driving to save their lives.

Bwonagweno LC1 warns house owners of thieves in the night

By

Abalo Irene Otto

The LC1 of Bwonagweno Sub ward in Ariaga, Laroo division has castigated members of his constituencies for giving lee way to thieves who break into houses at night.

Alfred Otema says that some people leave their houses without any one in them in the night and this gives an opportunity for the thieves to sneak in and steal.

He advised members in his communit never to leave a house without some to sleep in to avid thieves breaking in at night.

Cue in ………LC1 Bwonagweno…………………

David Oryem, the Youth Chaiperson Ariaga told Radio Rupiny how he was a victim of theft two weeks ago and narrated how the thieves break bad locks at night if they suspect that no one is in the room.

Cue in ………………..Theft Ordeal………………..

He advised the youth to engage in productive activities that can generate income fro them instead of stealing that can land them in jail.

Gulu police asks parents to produce five year old defilement victim

By

Abalo Irene Otto

Police in Gulu have requested the parents of a five year old girl who was defiled by a resident of Layibi division on the tenth of this month to report with the child to police so that the child gets medical examination and treatment.

Alfred Ocen Kamdulu, a resident of Layibi Central ward in Layibi division, Gulu municipality reportedly defiled the minor at 8:00pm on the tenth and was arrested by the mob and taken to Awyer police post from where he was yesterday transferred to Gulu Central Police Station.

Kamdulu is in police custody but no statements have yet been recorded from the parents of the defiled minor or any of the mob that arrested him.

Accordig to Aswa region police spokesperson, police has not yet seen the child but expects the parents to come forward and record statements so that the child can get medication help with the police form three A.

He says as the police, there is nothing much they can do until statements are recorded then investigation into the defilement case can begin.

Cue in…………..PRO Okema on defilement at Layibi……………

The Aswa region Police PRO appealed to members’ of the public to always follow up on cases that they bring to police so that the perpetrators of crime are prosecuted before the courts of law to answer for their actions.

“Don’t tempt the iron bar hit men,” says Gulu DPC

By

Abalo Irene Otto

Uganda-Gulu DPC Martin Okoyo has cautioned the public against reckless
lifestyles of alcoholism and moving late in the night during this
festive season that makes them vulnerable to attacks by criminals.

Okoyo in his charismas message today told our reporter that it is the
responsibility of an individual to guard himself or herself from harm
because police and the army cannot be deployed to guard every single
person who moves in the night in the whole district.

Cue in ….Okoyo on Police and the army……………..

Residents of Gulu town have continued to live in fear of the current
wave of insecurity caused by iron bar hitmen.

The hitmen have been targeting innocent members of the public however,
local artists and radio presenters have also been victims of the
attacks.

Last week, police in Gulu arrested 15 suspects from Kasubi parish,
Bardege division who confessed to being in connection with attacks on
members of the public.

Cue in…….. Okoyo on iron bar hitmen……..

Since December last year, iron bar hit men have been attacking their
victims within the areas of Nakaser, Tegwana and Labourline parishes
in Pece Division, Gulu Municipality.

Uganda Police demands for an amendment of drugs law

Uganda, East Africa. Police in Gulu, Northern Uganda, are demanding for an amendment of the law on illicit drugs that is too weak to act as a deterrent to opium smokers in the district.

James Asubu, the OC Crime told our reporter that opium smoking is a major contributor to crime in the district.

Asubu adds that every month, the arrest about 90 opium smokers but are releases and punished mildly with community service which can not deter the offenders from re offending.

” We arrest 3 to 4 opium smokers daily.”

Asubu also blames the weak judicial system for the continuous opium smoking in the district.

In Koch Gomah Sub County, Nwoya district, charcoal burners are known for growing marijuana where they cut the trees and this has become a source of insecurity to the community.

Okullu John Bosco is the LCIII of Koch Goma. He shares with our reporter how opium growing and smoking is a cause of fear and death in the community.

A reliable source who is an expert in illicit drugs who preferred anonymity told our reporter that opium smokers are expensive to treat and majority are ignorant of the long term effects on their health.

” Marijuana makes you to become insane. It makes your blood to pump very fast and makes you to do what any other normal person can not do.”

Unfortunately, Gulu has only one rehabilitation centers for addicts in Gulu located at For God parish in Bardege division and is overwhelmed with handling such cases.

On 9/4/2015, Uganda the Narcotic drugs and psychotropic Substance Control Act to control the possession of, trafficking in narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances and cultivation of certain plants like Opium. But consumption continues to cause problems of insecurity in Northern Uganda and other parts of the country.

By

Abalo Irene Otto

Boda riders want permission to check clients to guarantee safety after reports of 75 theft cases.

Gulu district has lost motor bikes worth over 225million shillings since the beginning of this year according to reports at Gulu Central Police Station to cases of night robbery and pretense of hiring to use for a day.

James Asubu, the OC CID Gulu Central police station told our reporter in an interview that they have received report of 75 cases of theft of Motorcycles since January 2016.

Asubu says that this is painful for the youth who hire the motorbikes from others to get a means of survival and others who have to even sell off their land and property to acquire the motor bikes but with the hopes of earning a living through boda boda riding.

Asubu adds that most of the thieves are people who want to get quick cash and some use trickery to hire for a day for self ride to distant places but they never return.

“People want to get quick cash. Some boda boda are careless, how do you give someone your bike for self ride without minding who the person is and their back ground? You see that is what happens, then they run to police for help. As police we shall do our part but you shall have wasted a lot of time to trace for your bike.” Said the OC CID.

The OC CID also warned boda boda riders who leave their bikes outside unattended to but enter in betting centers or watch games till late in the night that they have the responsibility to the security of their property since once property is lost, it may be got after sometime or not disorganizing the day to day productive activities of the individual.

According to Asubu, Boda boda riders have to be careful when handling customers and be security conscious especially when transporting night travelers who accept to pay any amount of money yet they might harbor criminal intentions to harm and still the motorbikes.

Asubu says that they have managed to contain Motorcycle robberies between 2 to 3 in a month but the general public especially within the municipality have to be security conscious especially at night when travelling to safe guard their motor bikes from theft.

Yasin Komakech, a boda boda rider at former DFCU stage in Gulu town said that they feel the pain their colleagues go through when they loose their bikes and requested for a policy that allows them to check their client’s bags and heavy jackets before they can offer their service.

“ Some come as customers who move with you for the whole day then ask you to take them to a far destination at the end of the day. I wish there could be a policy enacted for us to check our customers who carry big bags or wear heavy jackets. Such people turn against us when they take us out of town. There, you are alone and they can carry out their plan to steal your motor bike,” complains Yasin Komakech.

Komakech says that in his 4 years experience as a boda boda operator, he has realized that the thieves target new motor cycles that have not yet taken long on the road and are harder to trace for but also blamed some colleagues who are jealous and make dubious deals when they see others acquiring new motorbikes.

Nwoya arrests serial rapist after over one and a half years of search

The RDC of Nwoya District, Beatrice Akello Akori yesterday commanded an operation in which 30 year old Simon Opiyo alias Gen Tuk was arrested after terrorizing residents of the district for over one and a half years.

Akello told reporters from Northern Uganda Media Club during a press conference today that the man is a renown criminal who rapes, and assaults especially women and is also a thief who has caused fear among the women in the community.

She adds that women in Nwoya fear to go to their gardens to dig or fetch water alone since the suspect way lays his culprits for his criminal acts.

Gen Tuk was arrested from Koch Goma Sub County at around 10:00pm on Wednesday and transported after intelligence coordination and is in custody at Gulu Central Police Station where he awaits appearing before court.

The RDC says that the district is relieved to have Gen Tuk arrested because he has been on their list of the most wanted by security for a very long time.

“The Women of Nwoya should now feel free to go to the garden and do their normal routines without fear. We already arrested and we have the person who has been terrorizing them in police custody.”

Gen Tuk is a resident of Okii in Anaka Sub County.

The RDC also revealed that his file has already been sanctioned since he has many cases reported to police but the community had tried to arrest him for raping and assaulting women in vain.

Agwee Woman Sentenced to Community service at Gulu Referral Hospital.

Gulu Grade One magistrate Biwaga Celsie has today sentenced a 19 year old woman from Agwee parish in Laroo division Gulu Municipality to 30 days community service for assault.

Awinyu Eunice was sentenced to 30 days community service at Gulu Regional Referral hospital as a public place where she could learn and reform from.

Court heard that Awinyu assaulted Abuu Grace on 26th April 2016 from Agwee causing her grievous bodily harm.

Awinyu’s act contravenes article 229 of the penal code Act.
Grade One Magistrate, Biwaga warned the convict not to abscond from the community service because if she does, she will be sentenced to one year in jail instead.

Community service was introduced in the Uganda Judiciary to solve minor offences to avoid case back log and overcrowding in the prison cell.

Aswa PRO warns of illegal guns in the community.

Patrick Jimmy Okema the Police Spokesperson for ASWA region has cautioned the community to be vigilant and report suspicious people in their midst due to the continuous usage of guns especially on business persons.

Patrick Jimmy Okema while addressing the press in Gulu town yesterday said the police have noted with concern that there are illegal guns still in the community that are in the hands of those who intend to use them for the wrong motives.

Okema told press that five men have already been arrested and sent to Police Special Investigation Department in Kireka police post for more investigation into their case since they were on the list of the most notorious gangs’ hard core criminals that the police have been looking for in the region.

This comes after police lost two guns from Elegu Police Barrackst on the 25th last month but were recovered from a swamp along Adjumani road on the 1st of this month.
The suspects include, Okwonga Jackson alias Steel, Omoya Wilfred, Bukenya Charles, Ongom Rashid and Komakech Danis Otto.

Okema added that Steel and his group were transferred from Gulu to Kireka for further investigations since they have detailed clue into the theft of guns and it is not the first time they are being arrested by the police for criminal acts.

Meanwhile Okema says that the death of the 30 year old SACCO treasure from Padibe last week where unknown gun men shot her dead with intention to rob the group’s 11 million shillings that was supposed to be distributed the following day confirms that there are still illegal guns in the community.

Okema says they are still calling upon the members of the community to help the police to weed out the illegal guns from the community by reporting those who have or are suspected to have illegal guns in their custody.

1,200 Ex prisoners to benefit from entrepreneurship programme in the North.

By
Abalo Irene Otto
Gulu

Uganda Government Prisons in partnership with Advance Afrika a nongovernmental organization working to reunite and reintegrate inmates into the society has launched a three year project about rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates in Gulu to benefit the greater Northern Region with Support from Caritas Switzerland.

Ronald Rwakangi, the Executive Director of Advance Afrika says their vision is to see a society where young people exploit their full potential and promote social enterprise that adds value to society.

The programme is targeting 1,200 in mates from 26 prisons including Lugore, Gulu main prisons, Pece, Erute and Kitgum among others.

He says they chose to work with youth prison in mates because 80% of those in prison are youth between the ages of18-35 years and there are avenues to channel their energy into productive work, their turn to criminal activities and still end up in prison again.

Rwakangi says that if the young in mates who have interest in having a better life are not targeted, it’s challenging for them to start a new life after serving their sentences in jail.

He adds that the prison inmates are a category of people who are vulnerable and some are in custody but they are sorry about what they did and deserve a second chance to live again in the community.

Alobo Sharon, the project officer Advance Afrika, Gulu says their work is about giving the ex-inmates a second chance after leaving prisons by training them in entrepreneurial skills and after one month of reunion and reintegration, they are given start up kits to sustain them as they adjust to their new life.

Steven Ameny, one of the beneficiaries of the project who got support and is now dealing in second hand clothes in Lira town life after returning from prison is not easy but he was able to re unite with his wife and together they used the start up kit given to him by Advace Afrika to start another business within one year.

Ronald Rwakangi however acknowledges the danger their work could cause to those who may take it they are only helping in mates so they should commit crimes and be convicted to benefit but he says that those who are out should utilize the government programmes that come to their areas like the youth Livelihood fund and operation wealth creation so that they are productive citizens.