KAMPALA – The Uganda Police Force has released its 2025 Annual Crime Report, laying bare the country’s insecurity map—with Wakiso, Luweero and several Kampala Metropolitan divisions emerging as the leading crime hotspots.
According to the report, Uganda registered 196,405 criminal cases in 2025, marking a 10.2% drop from the 218,715 cases recorded in 2024. While authorities are touting the decline as progress, the figures reveal a stubborn concentration of crime in urban and peri-urban centres.
🔥 Top Crime Hotspots
The report ranks insecurity based on the total number of reported cases across police divisions and districts. The worst-affected areas include:
- Wakiso Police Division – 3,177 cases
- Luweero District – 3,123 cases
- Katwe Police Division (Kampala) – 2,997 cases
- Kawempe Police Division (Kampala) – 2,967 cases
- Mukono Police Division – 2,880 cases
- Tororo District – 2,831 cases
- Ntungamo District – 2,825 cases
Other high-burden districts—each recording over 2,100 cases—include Mityana, Mubende, and Kiryandongo.
📍 Central Region Dominates Crime Map
Unsurprisingly, crime remains heavily concentrated in the central region, particularly within the greater Kampala metropolitan area and its surrounding districts. These zones continue to grapple with population pressure, urban poverty, and organised criminal networks.
In contrast, relatively lower crime levels were recorded in sub-regions such as Teso, Karamoja, West Nile, and Bukedi. The least affected area in the country was Karenga Police Division, which reported just 146 cases—a stark contrast to the urban hotspots.
📉 Progress or Optics?
Police attribute the overall decline in crime to expanded community policing, intelligence-led operations, and increased deployment at sub-county level. However, the persistent dominance of the same high-crime areas raises questions about the effectiveness and sustainability of these interventions.
The full report provides a detailed breakdown across all 185 police divisions and stations, offering a comprehensive snapshot of Uganda’s evolving crime landscape.
As always, the big question remains: Are these numbers translating into real safety for ordinary Ugandans—or simply better reporting and statistics?
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