Tag: GreatLakesNews

{Police in Malaba and Busia border towns have arrested two sheikhs on suspicion of coordinating a spate of robberies.}

Bukedi Region police spokesperson Sowali Kamulya confirmed the arrests, which he said were carried out by the police’s Flying Squad.

He said the suspects were arrested on Sunday during the ongoing crackdown on armed robbers in the two border towns.
Kamulya said the two sheikhs were arrested following intelligence information that they were playing a leading role in the series of robberies that have hit Busia and Malaba border towns recently.

He said the intelligence information showed that the two sheikhs also had counterparts, with whom they are dealing with, across the border in Kenya.
Two bullets were reportedly recovered during the arrest of one of the sheikhs.

Kamulya said the Flying Squad operation followed increasing incidences of related crimes since last year. Police in the two districts of Tororo and Busia have registered 82 robbery cases and the majority were committed in the two border towns.

“The arrest of the suspects will lead us to trace the rest of the gang who are still at large. However, we suspect that the number is big and well coordinated’’ Mr Kamulya said.

He said most of the robberies involved theft of motorcycles, motor-vehicles and cash. Many of the victims were killed during the robberies as they attempted to protect their property.

He said between January last year to February this year, Tororo District recorded 72 theft cases while Busia District recorded 54.

Source:Daily Monitor

{Congolese national police accused rebels Monday of massacring 39 of their officers in the violence-wracked Kasai region.}

The victims were killed in an “ambush” early Friday and buried in a mass grave by supporters of late militia leader Kamwina Nsapu around 75 kilometres north of Tshikapa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s central Kasai region, a police spokesman said.

The 39 massacred police officers had been travelling in two army transport trucks “with a substantial cargo” of material and law enforcement equipment, which their attackers hijacked, spokesman Colonel Pierre-Rombaut Mwanamputu added in a statement.

The national police “strongly condemns this massacre” and have taken urgent measures to boost security in that part of the country, the statement said.

The remote region has been plagued by violence since mid-August, when government forces killed Nsapu, a tribal chief and militia leader who had rebelled against President Joseph Kabila’s central government.

Clashes between government forces and Nsapu supporters began in central Kasai, but the violence has since spilled over to the neighbouring provinces of Kasai-Oriental and Lomami, leaving at least 400 people dead.

The Kamwina Nsapu group is accused of numerous atrocities by the United Nations and of using child soldiers.

DR Congo security forces have also faced regular UN condemnation over the use of disproportionate force against the militiamen, who are armed mainly with clubs and catapults.

Earlier this month, seven Congolese soldiers were arrested after the release of a video online implicating troops in an alleged massacre in Kasai-Oriental province.

The accusation of the massacre of 39 officers comes two days before the UN Security Council is due to vote on extending its stabilisation mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world, but with few soldiers in the Kasia region.

Source:AFP

{Four people, including police officers, appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam yesterday, charged with conspiracy to sabotage public safety by draining 280.6 litres of fuel from one of the new government jetliners.}

They are: Ex-Corporal Bahati Msilimini from Ukonga Airwing Quaters, Ex-Police Constable Benaus, a resident of Ukonga Madafu, Iddy Nyangas, a security officer at the Moko Security firm, who resides at Vingunguti kwa Mnyamani and Ramadhani Mwishehe, who is Aircraft Technician residing at Yombo Buza.

The accused persons were not allowed to enter plea to the charges when arraigned before Senior Resident Magistrate Victoria Nongwa be cause they are charged with an economic case under the National Security Act read together with the Economic and Organised Crime Control Act.

The four were granted bail on conditions of each securing two reliable sureties. Each surety signed a bond of 1m/-.

The accused persons were restrained to approach airport areas where they once worked prior seeking and obtaining leave of the court.

The accused persons were also stopped from leaving the country without court permission.

The case was adjourned to April 27, when it will be mentioned. Investigations into the matter, according to the prosecution, have not been completed.

Source:Daily News

{Favourites Kenya won gold in the Mixed Relay in the first race of the 42nd edition of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.}

The Kenyan team, for whom 1500m star Asbel Kiprop ran the anchor leg, barely looked in trouble under the scorching heat of Kololo airstrip despite Beatrice Chepkoech crossing the line only eight seconds ahead of Ethiopia superstar Genzebe Dibaba.

Uganda’s team of Winnie Nanyondo, Geofrey Ruto, Dorcus Ajok and Ronald Musagala came in fourth ahead of Bahrain and Morocco to narrowly miss out on the medal bracket.

Guest of honour President Museveni, who opened the Games earlier, handed out medals to Kenya, Ethiopia and Turkey.

The Championships have attracted over 500 athletes from 59 countries.

An official hoists the Ugandan flag at the kick-off of the World Cross Country Championship at Kololo Independence ground in the capital, Kampala.

Source:Daily Monitor

{A police officer was among those arrested Sunday after a kidnapping and robbery went wrong in Rongai, Nakuru County.}

Administration Police Constable Joseph Kiragu Ng’ang’a, 33, who is based at a Daadab AP camp, was arrested in the company of Mr Kenneth Michuki Mwangi, 27, and Mr Joseph Munyaka Njuki, 33, after a man was kidnapped from his home and robbed of cash.

The incident was reported at Solai Police Station by Mr Stephen Ndirangu.

Mr Ndirangu narrated that he was sitting with his father Richard Mwangi Kamau in their house when a Nissan saloon car bearing registration number KCE 953U entered their homestead.

The five occupants then bundled his father into the car and drove off. He immediately reported to the area chief, who circulated the details of the vehicle.

Mr Kamau was later dumped at Munyinyi after he had been robbed of Sh100,000.

According to a police report seen by the Nation, Mr Kamau then walked to Subukia Police Station where he reported the matter.

Police officers then lay an ambush in the Solai-Maji Tamu area and accosted the vehicle’s occupants, who refused to stop and instead shot at the officers.

During the gunfire exchange, one of the occupants, Mr Paul Kimotho Gitimu, was injured and was later confirmed dead at Bahati Sub-County Hospital.

One suspect, however, managed to escape with his weapon.

Police recovered from the scene a certificate of appointment of the AP officer, as well as eight spent cartridges from an AK-47 rifle and a bullet head belonging to the same. They also recovered a pair of handcuffs and five mobile phones.

The Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has been investigating police officers on such matters and a few have been convicted of crimes.

Source:Daily Nation

{President John Magufuli yesterday revoked the appointment of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Prof Justin Ntalikwa.}

The Directorate of Presidential Communications however did not give the reason behind the dismissal of Prof Ntalikwa who has served in the position for over a year.

He has been shown the exit door few days after President Magufuli made an impromptu visit to the Dar es Salaam port where he witnessed containers full of mineral sand for export against his ban early this month.

After the ban, the president directed Energy and Minerals Minister Professor Sospeter Muhongo to fully enforce the sanction.

Signed by the Director of the Presidential Communications, Mr Gerson Msigwa, the statement said the vacant post would be filled later.

Source:Daily News

{Following last week’s brutal killing of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Andrew Felix Kaweesi alongside his driver and bodyguard, the police authorities have resolved to provide body armour and escort motorcycles to personnel working with its senior officials.}

Speaking to Saturday Monitor on Friday, Mr Asan Kasingye, the newly-appointed police spokesperson, who replaced slain Kaweesi, said police will provide bullet proof vests to all bodyguards and drivers of senior officers so that they can be in position to engage armed attackers.

“We have already discussed that issue and it comes with our mandate to protect citizens and their property. We cannot protect others when we cannot provide for our own officers,” Mr Kasingye said.

{{Deployment}}

The police spokesperson said the Force was to deploy covert and overt security personnel to monitor the security of senior officials at their places of work and residence.

“As per now, we cannot provide lead cars because we don’t have enough. But we have enough motorcycles and we are going to start with the mechanism we have currently,” he said.

The police authorities are also to step up surveillance systems at homes of senior officials as well as the police stations and barracks.

Mr Kasingye said Crime Intelligence and Criminal Investigations Department have been tasked to investigate all the current and previous security threats that targeted senior officers.

The killing of AIGP Kaweesi has seen more than 10 suspects held at the high-security detention centre at Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja District.

Source:Daily Monitor