Residents of Kitgum Municipality have lauded the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura for transferring the district police commander, Jackson Baryampika who was accused of failing to curb gun crimes in the district.
On Thursday last week, Gen Kayihura rushed to Kitgum district following an upsurge in gun murders.
The gun related gun violence was the murder of Tony Olanya, a former Uganda Revenue Authority employee. Mr Olanya was killed on Tuesday last week from his home in Pager Division in Kitgum Municipality.
The residents had demanded that Kayihura transfer Baryampika saying he had done little to
investigate and arrest suspects behind the shootings in Kitgum.
Ms Vicky Abdu, a vendor at Owino Market in Kitgum Municipality told Acholi Times in an interview on Wednesday that the transfer of Mr Baryampika is a bold step by Kayihura to guarantee security in Kitgum.
“At the moment, with the intervention of Gen Kayihura who has deployed the Police flying squads in Kitgum, we [vendors] are having peace of mind conducting business because in the past one week, we had a lot of fear over insecurity,” said Vicky Abdu.
Another resident, Mr Alex Otim said the transfer of Mr Baryampika is a good gesture that suspects behind the gruesome murder of locals in the district will be investigated.
“Many times people who have been arrested in the past on allegations of murder have found their ways back in the community because they are released. There have been complaints of money changing hands at the Police station that have seen the suspects getting released,” Mr Otim said.
Aswa Regional Police spokesperson told Acholi Times in an interview that Police flying squad has so far arrested over 30 suspects in connection with the shootings in Kitgum.
The police spokesman said a gun was also recovered from a local council official in Kitgum central division suspected to have been used in the killings, adding that police is still conducting more investigation on the matter.
Since the year began, six people have so far been shot dead in Kitgum Municipality by unknown gunmen.
