Residents of Kaabong District are living in fear after at least 10 people were kidnapped in separate incidents over the past month, in what local leaders describe as a worsening wave of abductions targeting members of the IK community.
According to local authorities, the kidnappers — reportedly armed with guns — demand ransoms of up to Shs10 million from families of the victims.
Survivors and witnesses say abductees are often tortured as their families struggle to raise the demanded sums.
“People are terrified. The kidnappers come at night, take their victims, and later call demanding huge amounts of money. Families here are too poor to pay such ransoms,” said a local elder who requested anonymity for security reasons.
The IK community, one of Uganda’s smallest and most vulnerable ethnic groups, inhabits the mountainous areas of Kaabong where security presence and communication remain limited.
Local leaders warn that the growing wave of kidnappings could deepen the community’s historical marginalization.
“We are appealing to government to deploy more security forces in the area,” said Hillary Lokwang, MP for IK County. “The situation is getting worse every day. People can’t go to their gardens or fetch water without fear.”
Kaabong District Chairperson Meri Jino described the incidents as a growing security crisis that requires urgent government intervention.
The spate of kidnappings has disrupted daily life, forcing residents to abandon farming activities, while those traveling to Kaabong Town now move in constant fear.
Security officials in the Karamoja sub-region are yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but community members are calling for immediate action before more lives are lost.