Rwanda : EAC should embark on criminal crackdown- Gen. Kayihura
The Inspector General of the Ugandan Police, Lt Gen Kale Kayihura has called on East Africa (EAC) members to have a change of mindset among regional forces to curb cross border crimes, which now pose a challenge for the region.
Kayihura said that these crimes are given less political importance in the region since the member states are concentrating more on national matters, giving less attention to fighting cross-border crime.
Gen. Kayihura, who was addressing in a Regional Police chiefs meeting in Kigali, that brought together police chiefs from all EAC partner states, said that once the member states put collective efforts and focus on cracking down these crimes will be whipped out of the region.
Chief Supt Elisa Kabera, the Director for international cooperation at Rwanda National Police said that this is possible if there some kind of harmonization of criminal activities which are considered illegal in some countries, while they are no punishable in others.
An example was given on locally distilled brew commonly known as ‘kanyanga’- which is legal in Uganda, and in most cases transported to neighboring countries like Rwanda- where its illegal.
Rwanda police statistics indicate that most of the illegal drugs trafficked in the country come from neighboring countries like Uganda, Burundi and Congo. At least 2,770 cases of drug trafficking registered only in seven months, most of them smuggled in from the neighbouring countries.
