By Robert Segawa
The Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba, has announced a 10.2% reduction in crime across Uganda for 2025, describing the decline as a significant achievement for the country’s security agencies.
While officially releasing the 2025 Annual Crime Report at Police Headquarters in Naguru, Byakagaba revealed that a total of 196,405 cases were recorded in 2025, down from 218,715 cases in 2024.
He attributed the improvement to strong inter-agency collaboration and an effective chain of command within the police force, emphasizing the role of territorial commanders in maintaining order. He also highlighted the impact of the sub-county policing model—introduced on the advice of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni—which has so far covered 56% of sub-counties nationwide.
According to Byakagaba, 115,301 cases were forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, of which 79,291 proceeded to courts of law.
Despite the progress, he acknowledged ongoing challenges facing the police, including limited human resources and the need for more force multipliers such as CCTV systems, canine units, forensic expertise, and modern equipment. He reaffirmed the force’s commitment to maintaining peace and security, noting that successes were also driven by strong inter-agency coordination under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Looking ahead to 2026, Byakagaba said the Uganda Police Force will prioritize expanding community-oriented policing, improving officer welfare, strengthening capacity building, and intensifying intelligence-led operations to address emerging security threats.
Providing a breakdown of crime statistics, the Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate, AIGP Tom Magambo, reported that theft remained the most prevalent offense with 56,360 cases. This was followed by assault (26,366), sexual offenses (12,606), domestic violence (12,361), break-ins (11,818), threatening violence (8,848), criminal trespass (6,467), and narcotics-related cases (1,569).
Magambo expressed concern over the growing use of drugs in communities, noting that the problem affects children from both low-income and affluent families.
Meanwhile, the Director of Traffic and Road Safety, AIGP Lawrence Nuwabine, reported a 24.4% decline in traffic-related cases, from 426,432 in 2024 to 322,441 in 2025. He noted that fatal accidents stood at 4,602, serious accidents at 13,563, and minor accidents at 7,879.
Nuwabine raised concern over hit-and-run incidents, which accounted for 20% of accidents, with pedestrians being the most affected. He cited difficulties in identifying offenders due to the complexity of reading nine-digit license plates.
In the Fire and Rescue Services department, AIGP Stephen Tanui reported a 17.9% decrease in incidents, with 1,310 cases recorded in 2025 compared to 1,595 in 2024. Of these, 1,000 were fire outbreaks while 310 were rescue operations.
Tanui highlighted disturbing cases involving infants being dumped in pit latrines, requiring officers to carry out dangerous rescue operations. He added that the most frequent rescue incidents involved pits (100 cases), followed by valley dams and fish ponds (46 incidents), leading to the rescue of 50 people and the recovery of 40 bodies.
The Uganda Police Force reiterated its commitment to becoming a professional and people-centered institution dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure society.
