MBARARA : Police in Mbarara City have arrested 70 people, including 50 children, during an operation targeting suspected street criminals following growing complaints from traders over theft and insecurity in the city.
The operation, according to Mbarara Central Police Station District Police Commander (DPC) SP Gumisiriza Kenneth Kabwigo, was aimed at combating theft, reducing criminal activities, restoring public order and protecting residents and traders’ property.
Kabwigo said the operation followed repeated complaints from traders who accused some street children and other suspected criminals of breaking into shops, stealing money and mobile phones, and attacking vendors.
He explained that the operation was conducted in several areas of Mbarara City, including Kisenyi, Independence Park, Kakyeka, Nyamityobora and Makhan Singh Street, among other locations.
According to the police commander, the 70 people arrested comprise 50 children and 20 adults. Among those arrested are nine refugees from Nakivale Refugee Settlement, two Rwandan nationals suspected of being illegal immigrants and one Tanzanian national also suspected of being in the country illegally.
The suspects are currently detained at Mbarara Central Police Station as police conduct screening and prepare to take further necessary action.
Kabwigo assured residents and the business community that police remain committed to protecting lives and property, adding that similar operations will continue until criminal activities are brought under control and traders can conduct their businesses without fear.
He also called upon parents and guardians to take greater responsibility for their children, warning against allowing them to spend their lives on the streets, where they may become exposed to criminal activities.
The police commander further urged members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspected criminal activities and providing information that could help maintain law and order in Mbarara City.
