Residents and local leaders in Kanoni Town Council, Gomba District, have appealed to security agencies to intervene following a surge in crime that has left the community living in fear.
Residents say the past three months have been marked by repeated break-ins targeting homes and businesses. The suspects are reportedly breaking into shops, ambushing people returning home at night and, more recently, invading homes while residents are asleep.
The criminals are said to mainly target electronics shops, supermarkets, clothing stores and other businesses. Residents say several major break-ins have been reported, but no suspects have been arrested.
The suspected criminals have also been targeting people believed to be carrying cash, particularly those who work late into the night. Women returning from work have reportedly been robbed of their handbags, while several boda boda riders have lost their motorcycles to thieves.
Residents say despite reporting the incidents to police and local leaders, little has been done to improve security.
David Semuleme, a resident of Muyenga-Kyaziiza, recounted how he narrowly escaped after a burglar broke into his home in the early hours of the morning.
"I locked my house before going to bed, but at around 3:00 a.m. I felt cold air coming in. I first thought I hadn't closed the door properly, but when I checked, I found the door open and a stranger inside my house. I raised an alarm and ran outside. The suspect also fled," Semuleme said.
Another resident said thieves broke into his house while he was asleep. Although the suspects fled after neighbours responded to his alarm, they escaped with cash and mobile phones.
Local leaders, including Kanoni Town Council Youth Councillor Hassan Mugabi and community leader John Katwere, blamed the worsening insecurity on weak local leadership, accusing the LC1 chairperson of failing to mobilise residents and strengthen community security.
"The level of crime we are witnessing today is something we have never experienced before. Strangers continue settling in our community without proper identification, yet the village leadership has done little to know who they are or where they come from. People have lost property, businesses have been broken into, motorcycles stolen, and now criminals are entering homes at night," Mugabi said.
Katwere also criticised the response by security agencies.
"Even when victims report cases to the police, they receive little or no help. Many people leave police stations without any assistance, and even local leaders do not follow up their complaints," he said.
Mugabi said regular community security meetings could help residents identify suspicious individuals and strengthen neighbourhood vigilance.
"I am now 32 years old, but I have never attended a single village security meeting organised by the current LC1 chairperson," he said.
Residents are now calling on Gomba District security officials to urgently address the growing insecurity before more lives and property are lost.
"Kanoni hosts the district's main police station, the RDC's office and the DISO's office, yet crime continues to rise. We want security agencies to act immediately. If necessary, deploy JATT to restore law and order," the residents appealed.
Kanoni is the main commercial centre of Gomba District and has continued to attract more residents and businesses because of its rapid growth, a trend residents believe has also attracted criminal elements to the area.
