Arrest warnings to people possessing military and police uniforms have yielded results as slum dwellers in Kampala and Wakiso have handed over 1,865 attires to security agencies.
The Directorate of Crime Intelligence -DCI and Kampala metropolitan police issued a two weeks ultimatum on December 01 to all persons with security attires to voluntarily hand them to nearby police stations.
Today DCI director, Brig Chris Damulira, has exhibited the military and police uniforms that have been collected with the help of volunteer ghetto youths leaders.
Brig Damulira and Kampala metropolitan police commander, Stephen Tanui, gave a two weeks ultimatum following incidents of aggravated robbery, kidnap, illegal roadblocks at night, and house breakings in which the perpetrators were reportedly putting on attires that resemble military or police uniforms.
Damulira and Tanui reminded the public that illegal possession or use of military attires contravenes Sections 160, 161 and 164 of the UPDF Act, 2005.
Security bosses decided to use ghetto youths in order to put the people at the centre of national security but to promote community policing and civil-police cooperation.
Damulira and Tanui tasked ghetto youth leaders to collect illegal attires from the public and hand them over to territorial Police.
The crackdown on illegal uniforms was planned to be conducted in Two phases. The first phase commenced on December 01 and ended on December 15 and it was the voluntary handing over phase in which each shirt or trouser handed over was bought back at 10,000 shillings to allow the owners to buy a replacement.
“The owners of the illegal attires were also assured of protection from prosecution provided they handed over the items within the 14 days grace period,” Damulira said in a statement delivered to the media by police spokesperson Fred Enanga.
DCI has warned that following the end of Phase I, security has embarked on Phase II, during which anyone found in possession or use of military, police uniforms or attires that resemble such attires will be arrested and charged.
Security agencies have applauded the public for having supported the operation by willingly handing over thousands of these illegal attires, and the ghetto youth coordinators for having worked closely with the territorial police divisions something that made the operation a success.
Damulira has appealed to the public to desist from buying or acquiring such illegal attires as their possession promotes insecurity and is illegal. The public is urged to report illegal possession of such items to police and other sister security forces for immediate retrieval.
“The dealers who transact in used and new clothes that resemble military attires are hereby advised to stop it forthwith, and hand over such items to the police or other security agencies to avoid unnecessary consequences,” Brig Damulira said.
Out of the 1,865 attires, 120 were genuine military uniforms while 77 were real police attires.
Security have forces instituted stringent measures to ensure full control and accountability for the stores in the possession of their personnel’s and will continue to work closely with the public to promote security of Ugandans.