KAMPALA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan security agencies on Tuesday warned of the worrying trend of gun violence in the east African country, a police spokesperson said here.
Fred Enanga, Uganda's police spokesperson, said in a statement that the joint security agencies are concerned about a string and reckless shootings, which have left people killed and injured.
"We remain concerned over the recent string of shootings, which points to a larger societal problem. Life is not valued the way it was before," Enanga said.
In the last one week, the police responded to three incidents of shooting, two of which arose out of anger and rage by a police officer in the western town of Mbarara and a private security guard in the eastern town of Tororo.
The third shooting was by a police officer in the Mukono Municipality, east of the capital, Kampala, due to a mistaken identity.
"Generally, the slight increase in such reckless type shootings, in the last two months, over petty conflicts, disputes, shows that people are getting desperate," said Enanga.
"Other shootings are often the result of domestic violence, personal disputes, arguments, poverty, rage and anger, jealousy, mental health among others, which all contribute to crime," he said.
"We are working with other security agencies and partners like private security organizations, to ensure we have the right policies, intelligence, detection and enforcement," he said.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola on Tuesday halted the operating licenses of 39 private security companies across the country.
"These companies failed to fulfill some or all of the necessary conditions for license renewal last year (2022)," said Polly Namanya, deputy police spokesperson in a statement. ■