PUZZLE: Government Fails To Explain Whereabouts of 31 Missing Persons

By ROBERT KAMUKAMA

KAMPALA, Uganda{SHIFTMEDIA} Government has yet again failed to explain the whereabouts of 31 missing persons.

Internal Affairs minister Gen Jeje Odongo revealed that government is yet to account for the whereabouts of 31 Ugandans, who were reportedly kidnapped by armed personnel between November 2020 and January.

The 31 were reportedly kidnapped by armed men wearing civilian and moving in Drones.

Kira Municipality Member of Parliament Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, told parliament that armed men had kidnapped Sharif Kato, a trader in Kireka Central Market in Wakiso District, and his whereabouts were not known.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga who chaired the session tasked Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Jeje Odong to explain.

Odong revealed that a total of 44 reported kidnappings had been recorded at several police stations but only 13 had been investigated conclusively by the police.

“I undertake to give progress about the ongoing investigations with time as they are being undertaken,” Gen Odongo said.

Gen Odongo while giving account of the 13 cases in which the victims are not missing, told MPs that some of them were arrested by the security personnel on allegations of abetting terrorism.

Earlier this week, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen Paul Lokech instructed the AIGP CIID Grace Akullo and the Director Crime Intelligence AIGP Chris Serunjogi to give a report regarding the allegations of kidnaps and missing persons.

The MPs also pointed out that the kidnappings were concentrated in the Central region.

Ms Cecilia Ogwal, the Dokolo District Woman MP, said: “My concern is that, when people are missing, the lives of other people are threatened. It is happening mainly in the central region and is sending panic on which region is next.”

Speaker Kadaga also tasked the government to update the country about the progress of the gun census because there have been many cases especially in Kampala where people donning in civilian clothes have been wielding guns.

Gen Odongo, however, conceded that many of the reported kidnappings were reportedly executed by people travelling in numberless vehicles, adding: “Some of the perpetrators have been arrested and some individuals had guns.”