KAMPALA – The directorates of traffic and criminal investigations registered more than 80 deaths – resulting from road accidents and criminal incidents during the Christmas season.
The deaths, according to Traffic Police spokesperson, Faridah Nampiima and Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, happened between December 23 – 26.
Nampiima explained that 267 people were victims of road accidents of which 55 people died and 212 sustained serious injuries. The deaths during road accidents include 15 motorcyclists, one driver, 21 pedestrians, eight passengers on motorcycles, and five passengers in taxis while other deaths were of passengers in private vehicles.
The road accidents left 15 drivers nursing serious injuries, 68 motorcyclists, 53 passengers on motorcycles, four passengers in taxis, and 24 pedestrians who also survived with serious injuries.
Nevertheless, the deaths in road accidents have slightly reduced compared to last year’s Christmas.
Police records show that last Christmas road accidents claimed the lives of 66 people between December23- 26, a decrease of 11 persons compared to this year.
However, the number of people who survived road accidents with nasty injuries slightly increased to 212 compared to 206, last year. Other than deaths linked to road accidents, CID recorded 29 people dead a result of shooting, poisoning, drowning, domestic violence, stabbing as well as suffocation.
In crime-related deaths, Enanga cited some of the heinous crimes recorded during the Christmas period among others as the rape and murder of 13-year-old juvenile, Glorious Akampurira Owembabazi in Kabale district, where four suspects have since been apprehended.
In Lwengo district, Ivan Twakirize allegedly attacked, raped, and strangled to death a renowned female in the area. In Amuria, two suspects attacked a 36-year-old peasant and gang-raped her.
Police in Iganga were searching for Muzafar Nabeta for hacking Charles Baliddawa to death over a woman while In Kibaale, Police had arrested Kelet Byamugisha for killing his neighbour, John Ntabana, using a hoe after a quarrel, Enanga said.
Other murders include that of Gideo Lutalo who was tortured to death by a group led by an LC1 chairman after he allegedly destroyed property inside a bar of Aidah Nansubuga in Busoga.
Enanga revealed that police had cleared 1,430 people to use fireworks at the end-of-year celebrations across the country.
