By AGGREY BULUBA
Kampala – Uganda’s police annual crime report for 2024 reveals a staggering loss of shs1.82 trillion due to economic crimes.
This eye-opening figure underscores the extent of fraudulent activities such as embezzlement, corruption, and crimes linked to the banking sector, which continue to drain the nation’s resources.
Speaking on Monday, February 24, at police headquarters in Naguru, Beata Chelimo, the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), confirmed that these losses stemmed from a total of 13,132 economic crime cases reported in 2024.
This marks a slight increase of 1.6% from the previous year, when 12,000 economic crimes were recorded in 2023. Chelimo highlighted that these crimes were committed across various sectors, including public and private institutions, with significant impacts on Uganda’s economic stability.
In addition to economic crimes, the police report paints a broader picture of criminal activity in the country, revealing that a total of 218,715 criminal cases were reported throughout the year.
Among these cases, sexual offenses accounted for 14,425 incidents, while 1,473 cases were related to domestic violence. Assault-related crimes were also notably high, with 29,580 cases reported. Theft, which remains a persistent issue, was the most common crime, with 61,529 cases filed.
The report paints a troubling picture of crime in Uganda, highlighting the pressing need for greater efforts to tackle corruption and economic crime while also addressing rising levels of violence and theft.
The loss of such a significant amount of money to economic crimes not only reflects the deep-seated challenges in the country’s governance systems but also signals the importance of strengthening the legal framework and law enforcement to curb further losses.
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