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Shift Media News 
BY PATRICK JARAMOGI
MOROTO, Uganda|SHIFTMEDIA| Gunfire continues to rock Karamoja as a massive hunt for 219 inmates who escaped from Motoro Military Barracks Prison with 15 rifles intensifies.
The prison facility is built on the foothills of Mount Moroto, on the edge of Moroto town.
The joint security team comprising of Uganda Peoples Defence Forces, the Uganda Police and Special Forces Command (SFC) are currently involved in a chopper race in the semi-arid Karamoja.
One UPDF officer died in the scuffle as scores of inmates gained access to the gate at 4 pm on Wednesday evening.
According to sources, the inmates who were dressed in the prisons yellow uniforms undressed remaining naked, making their identity a difficult puzzle for the chopper tracers.
They are believed to have climbed the Moroto mountain despite the heavy gunship fire that bombarded the thicket.
Though Uganda Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine confirmed the escape, he declined to divulge more details. Similarly, UPDF Spokesperson Brig. Flavia Byekwaso in a tweet said:
“The operation by UPDF in pursuit of escapees from singila prison in moroto to re-arrest them and recover the stolen guns continues.”
Byekwaso said two inmates had been captured and five have been killed. She said a total of 219 inmates are confirmed to have escaped.
The Commissioner-General of Prisons Canon Johnson Byabashaijja said the escapees would be apprehended.
Just about a week ago 30 inmates in Moroto Prison who tested positive for the COVID19 pandemic were evacuated to Jinja isolation centre for treatment while over 200 other inmates were placed under quarantine.
Following this, the Prison authorities closed its gates to new inmates following confirmation of the results taken this week.
The 30 cases have raised panic among the prison staff in Moroto and several prison officers have also been placed under quarantine.
Moroto is no stranger to such events, in Jan 2006, 10 prisoners escaped after killing a warder and injuring another, they took off with one gun.
The prisoners opened fire and killed the warder (Corporal Walter Ochoria) after they were intercepted.
In March 2008, seven prisoners were shot to and injured after a daring attempt of escaping from Moroto Prison. The group had been 12 in number before 8 were shot in the escape attempt.
The prisons authorities said most of the escapees were hardened cattle ruslters. Details following…
