By Robert Segawa
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an intensive search for six foreign nationals who recently escaped from lawful custody at the Namanve Detention Center. The escapees are among 135 foreign nationals who were detained on July 13, 2024, following a crackdown in Muyenga, Kansanga, and Kabalagala’s UK Mall.
According to Simon Peter Mundeyi, the Ministry’s Spokesperson, the escapees were scheduled to appear before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court when they were discovered missing. The fugitives include five Eritreans—Zemechel Tesfemeryam Hagos, Habeki Shewit, Robert Solomon, Pommel Goytom, and Alexander Dkhamichael—and one Ethiopian, Gortom Maleke, who was apprehended at Kansanga UK Mall.
Mundeyi explained that these individuals had been arrested for lacking the proper documentation and permits to legally reside in Uganda. They were found to be involved in hawking kitchen homeware, an illegal activity where they offered products for sale to Ugandans, who provided their national IDs for higher purchase. The suspects were using motorcycles, saloon cars, and tricycles to transport their goods, which is against regulations.
The Ministry, in collaboration with the police, is actively working to recapture the escapees, whom they consider a significant threat to national security. Mundeyi has appealed to the public for assistance, urging anyone with information about the fugitives’ whereabouts to contact the immigration office, local police, or the local council chairman.
“We are committed to ensuring that these individuals are brought back into custody,” Mundeyi stated. “Their escape poses a serious risk, and we ask for the public’s support in this crucial effort.”
