Police have impounded seven guns at Bunagana border post in Kisoro, amid a spike in gun crime in the western district.

Hajji Shafique Ssekandi, the Kisoro resident district commissioner, said in a January 15 interview that night patrol police seized the guns as they were being loaded into a Premio vehicle registration number UAS 978B.

According to Ssekandi, the officers became suspicious when they saw the vehicle men busy loading cargo in a vehicle parked in a dark, hidden place. Ely Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson, said they impounded six submachine guns, a PK machine gun,five magazines and 79 bullets.

Kisoro district is currently battling an escalation of gun-related crimes and aggravated robberies. Innocent Mugisha, a prominent businessman in Kisoro town, was gunned down by unknown assailants at his home on December 22, 2016. The gunmen also shot Steven Yumvirusaba before fleeing from the scene.

The attack on the duo came a month after 35-year-old Jean Ntanuheza, a Rwandan national, was killed and his body dumped at a playground in Buhuro village.   

On November 20, 2016, Efrance Uzamukunda, a resident of Murora village, was shot by gun-wielding men at Kibugu trading center near Kibugu Church of Uganda, about seven miles to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In August this year, Moses Kilongosi, an officer attached to the Field Force Patrol (FFP), was killed by unknown assailants while on guard duty at the office of Kisoro resident state attorney along Mutanda road in Central division in Kisoro municipality.

Recently, Kisoro district officials led by the LC-V chairperson, Abel Bizimana, blamed the escalation in gun crime in the area on the presence of M23 ex-combatants. They demanded for the transfer of all officers at Kisoro Central police station for failure to contain crime.

POLICE, ARMY DEPLOY

UPDF and police have since deployed heavily at Bunagana border after the seizure of the guns in the Toyota Premio near the common border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The suspects, according to police, abandoned the vehicle and fled into Congo when they saw the police patrol approaching them. Ssekandi, the RDC, said they have decided to deploy UPDF and police at the border to tighten security since they haven’t established why the weapons were being smuggled into Uganda.

He said the officers will screen whoever enters the country to prevent any infiltration by wrong elements.  Jane Acan, the Acting Kisoro district police commander, said they are investigating the sources of arms under file number SD04/14/01/2017.

According to Acan, they have also embarked on a manhunt for the owner of the Premio vehicle only identified as Edward, a special-hire driver in Kisoro town. Abel Bizimana, the Kisoro LC-V chairperson, said the recovery of the guns being smuggled into the district shows security is still poor.