MPIGI - Twenty-four Burundian nationals have been arrested for illegally entering the country.

ASP Lydia Tumushabe, the spokesperson for Mpigi, Butambala, and Gomba police, told us that Mpigi police at Katonga checkpoint, have arrested 24 Burundian nationals, along with two (02) Ugandans on charges of loading a minibus (drone) number plate UBM 117K, carrying 26 passengers and after being found to be undocumented they were charged with illegal entry.
They were heading to the Wakiso District for some work on a building.
The residents of Buwama Town Council have been complaining about the influx of unknown people in their area which has hampered development and disrupted security in the area
Abdu Rashid Nkinga, mayor of Buwama Town council, and other leaders have appealed to the government to tighten security at all borders.
 Paul Kinaalwa, a resident of Buwama, said the number of women coming to his area to do prostitution has increased which has prevented many young men from getting married.

police statement:

On 29/12/2022 at around 1000c, traffic officers at Katonga Checkpoint in Kayabwe town council Mpigi district impounded a taxi Reg No UBM 711K (Drone, grey in color) on overloading charges as it was carrying excess passengers, 26 in number (including the driver). They included 24 Burundians – 01 female and 02 Ugandans (a driver and a conductor).

Through our investigations, we were able to establish that the 24 Burundians came from different villages and provinces in Burundi for casual work in Uganda and that they paid 300,000 Mafaranga to Iteka service and Platinum bus which they boarded in different intervals from Burundi via Tanzania and the payment was specifically from Ngoli to Kampala.

Due to fear of being arrested by security at the Mutukula border, they boarded the bus about 03 kilometers to the border. The bus operators connected them to a male Burundian known to them (by appearance) who led them through ‘Panya’ routes to a tree plantation which is near the Mutukula border. The same male Burundian connected them to the operators of a Ugandan taxi Reg No. UBM 711K to drive them up to Wakiso – Kampala.

The tax operators are:

• Katamba Yasin, the taxi driver and a resident of Pungwe village, Mukungwe sub-county in Masaka city.

• Ssali Haruna, a taxi conductor. He is a resident of Kabawo zone, Mutukula Town Council in Kyotera district, and operates from Mutukula-Kyotera district to Kampala.

The Burundians are currently held at Mpigi CPS to help in investigations while the taxi operators will be charged with trafficking in Persons, c/s 3(a) and 4 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act.

They are brought in as casual workers, some come as visitors on busy visas, and others cross through Uganda to other destinations. When they come they are employed as bar attendants/waitresses, dancers for Karaoke, sex workers, etc

In another reported incident of an Illegal entry reported at Laguti Police Post vide SD ref 09/30/12/2022, Adokorach Magret, the chairperson LC 1 of layating village in Laguti sub-county in Pader district, allegedly on 30/12/2022 at around 2155/c found Nyomuro Jackson aged 18yrs, a Burundian national of an unknown place of residence yet loitering in their village. He was a stranger in the area and could not account for himself since he spoke a language not understood by the locals. Out of suspicion, the reporter with the help of residents took the suspect to Laguti Police Post for further management.

We thank the officers for their timely intervention.

We urge the general public to remain vigilant and report such cases.

ACP Nabakka S. Claire

D/PRO/UPF

02 January 2023