As insecurity escalates in Karamoja, the police have teamed up with other security agencies for enhancement of operations against crude waragi which energizes warriors to stage raids.
The operations have been in place over the previous years, but took a back seat this year when cattle rustling reached its peak and all the forces were diverted to the ongoing forceful disarmament.
Micheal Longole, the Mt. Moroto region police spokesperson said that they have resolved to resume their operations against the sale and consumption of crude waragi because it is partly to blame for the increasing cases of insecurity.
Longole observed that most of the raiders arrested in their operations are either drunk or have pocketed bottles of crude waragi indicating that it’s the driving factor for cattle theft.
‘’As we conduct the cordon and search operations for guns, we shall be engaged in the operation against crude waragi as well because it’s becoming poison in the community,’’ Longole said.
Longole said they will be targeting the transporters, the business owners, connivers, and leaders advocating for the release of suspects found with crude waragi shall all be arrested and prosecuted.
So far about 500, twenty litres Jerricans of crude ‘enguli’ have been impounded at different checkpoints and a number of suspects have been arrested in day one operations.
David Koryang, the LCV chairperson for Moroto, noted that alcohol is still a big obstacle to development of Karamoja despite government efforts to eliminate it.
Koryang appealed to the community to work together with police to hunt for businessmen who are bringing and selling waragi in Karamoja because alcohol has been a leading cause of many criminals’ activities in the region.
The government banned the sale of crude waragi that is supplied from Jinja, Lira, Mbale and Soroti to Karamoja to allow locals concentrate on development.
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