The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Twenty-two residents of Soroti City have been sentenced to one week of community service or face six months of imprisonment for causing a public nuisance. The Soroti Grade One Magistrate, Nause Tumuhimbise, convicted the accused individuals on Tuesday based on their own guilty pleas.
They were apprehended on Sunday, September 17, 2023, in locations listed by security as high-crime areas. These areas have experienced numerous incidents of criminal activity, including theft, sexual assaults, and murder. Many of the accused individuals claimed to be students or employees from various fields who were either assigned tasks or heading home after dining in local restaurants.
All the accused individuals requested leniency from the court, arguing that they were unaware of the police operations taking place at night. For instance, Paul Adome, one of the accused, explained that he was a student who had earned a scholarship through his football talent (without specifying the school).
He had gone to visit his father, who was hospitalized after an accident when he was arrested.
Adome appealed to the court to grant him a noncustodial sentence to allow him to continue his studies. Other convicts stated that they were working in various capacities to support their families and that their families would be vulnerable if they were given custodial sentences.
Some convicts also mentioned being single parents due to separation from their spouses, which prompted the court to consider their requests. According to the police reports, these arrests were a response to complaints from Soroti City residents about a rise in criminal activities.
Damali Nachuha, the East Kyoga Regional Police Commander explained that there were concerns about increased criminality in Soroti City. She explained that criminals were targeting residents, stealing their belongings, such as phones and bags, and assaulting them at night.
In response to these concerns, the police launched an operation dubbed “Towa Gasia” loosely translated remove rubbish in Soroti City, resulting in the arrest and prosecution of more than 80 suspects over the past two weeks.
The Police have also reported cases of house break-ins, where unknown individuals steal property at night, particularly in Senior Quarters and Campswahili wards. These cases have included incidents of sexual assault and murder in Nakatunya and Senior Quarters.
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