Sad what's happening in Uganda at the moment!
A kidnapped/vanished child is always a tragedy, and I don't wish to ridicule anyone's pain. However,an audio by a kidnapper in a third world country will never help the police catch the killers. We aren't that sophisticated in technology. Actually, a lot of Generals sound like that man speaking Lunyolo in the audio by Susan Magara's kidnappers.Even the FBI cannot conclusively identify anybody's voice using a computer. They have been working on voice recognition for many years, and to this day computers understand only the most basic voice commands, so who knows how long it'll take until computers and synthesizers can actually emulate human voices or instruments reasonably well. What the FBI concentrate on is mainly the background of where the audio might have been recorded, and then they start identifying areas with such a background.
It is an uncomfortable thing to say as well as to read, but I believe that there's no security for common citizens in Uganda at the moment. There's only security for the important people in the country. The 999 number isnt working, the police are more interested in protecting the regime in power, protecting government buildings, e.t.c, but not the common people. Anybody can be killed by anybody anytime, and chances are anybody can get away with a crime if not seen.
Over the last six years crime has greatly increased and the police seem not be in position to do anything about it. In addition the criminals themselves are often let off,case hearings deliberately delayed or criminals serve a fraction of any sentence.For instance, nobody is talking about the Kanyamunyu case anymore. Its dying a natural death, because it has been replaced by bigger cases such as Kitatta's. Basically, the present government has failed in the first duty of the state, to protect its citizens. May be, citizens should be availed guns to protect themselves from criminals. John Lott, in his book "More Guns, Less Crime," proves that guns in the hands of private citizens can be an effective crime deterrent.
Susan Magara's experience is far from unique. Kidnappers, murderers, Muggers haunt almost every town while in others criminals work with the police to 'protect' citizens, as we have seen with Sobi group that are now being protected by the police.We are cursed with a government that says one thing and does another. The real problem is the moral climate produced by the present administration, and a feeling they are more on the side of the criminals than their victims.
Far more important, in my view, is the overall recognition of the need for the police to rebrand itself. They need new management at the top, new ideas, new directions, new strategies, e.t.c. Nobody trusts the police anymore. so everyone is paranoid. The more we read about daily murderers on social media and newspapers, the more Uganda is looked at by the rest as a backward nation.A "backward nation" is one regressing in terms of political,material and spiritual measures.
I believe that the crime wave now taking place in the Uganda is due in part to Museveni's over stay in power. He is now an old man who cannot keep tabs on everything happening in the country. And since he had personalised most of the institutions, everything is now a mess because he doesnt have the energy to be everywhere anymore. Basically, we are heading for the tougher times!
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
UNITED KINGDOM
"In tribute to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Uganda, two bastions of strength in a world filled with strife, discrimination and terrorism."