FIREARMS REGISTRATION IN SOUTHWESTERN UGANDA FACE PROBLEMS

By Okoodi Abooki

www.mknewslink.com

Poor record keeping of fire arms has been highlighted as one of the challenges a joint security team is facing in registering fire arms in the southwestern region.

Edward Ochom the director research, planning and development in Uganda police force says that the licensing of fire arms to private security firms and individuals were done manually and that tracing some of the guns may take some time but hastened to urge people to bring them for registration or else they will be declared illegal.

The team comprising of UPDF, Police, prisons, ISO and ESO recently embarked on registering all fire arms in the country a bid to capture data of each individuals gun so as to reduce gun violence.

AIGP Ochom further said that during the exercise some guns in Katonga, Masaka and Kigezi regions have been found to be defective and have been retrieved because they are putting the lives of security personnel at risk.

Ochom also said that security team at the Forensic lab is busy marching any evidence got from old crime scenes with each gun that has been testified so as to find out whether the guns used in committing different crimes are coming from security circles.

He said another reason for the exercise is all about preventing their officers from misusing the guns because they shall easily be identified and held responsible.
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