By At least 26 people lose their lives daily due to murders and accidents, according to the Uganda Police Crime Report for 2024. The report, presented by Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba at police headquarters in Naguru, indicates that a total of 9,749 deaths were recorded last year. More than half of these fatalities were caused by road accidents, while the remainder resulted from homicides, fires, and water-related incidents. Despite significant government interventions, which have cost trillions of shillings, cases of murders and road accidents continue to rise.
The data also shows that road accidents claimed 5,144 lives in 2024, marking an increase from the 4,806 deaths reported in 2023. Additionally, 20,664 individuals sustained injuries in road crashes last year. Meanwhile, homicides accounted for 4,411 deaths, including 320 children, reflecting a 1.9 percent rise compared to 2023. Although deaths increased, the overall crime rate in Uganda declined by 4.1 percent, with reported cases dropping from 228,074 in 2023 to 218,715 in 2024.
IGP Byakagaba acknowledged the decline in crime and commended Ugandans for reporting cases to law enforcement. He noted that the crime rate fell from 500 cases per 100,000 people in 2023 to 476 in 2024. However, he emphasized that Uganda’s crime rate remains high compared to other countries in the region. To address this challenge, the police have begun implementing a sub-county policing model, designed to extend police services to rural areas by deploying 18 officers at each sub-county. The initiative aims to enhance crime prevention and improve response times.
Under this model, each sub-county police station requires a motor vehicle, two motorcycles, a counter phone, radio communication equipment, office space, and accommodation for 18 officers. The police estimate that full implementation will cost Shs3.256 trillion. In the current financial year, 30 sub-county police stations were planned at a cost of Shs36.946 billion, but only Shs9.8 billion was allocated. Despite this shortfall, over 5,000 officers were redeployed to sub-county stations earlier this year to strengthen rural policing efforts.
Assistant Inspector General of Police Tom Magambo, Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), reported that of the 218,715 cases recorded in 2024, 81,750 were taken to court, accounting for 37.7 percent. Out of these, 26,328 cases resulted in convictions, while 43,579 cases remain ongoing in court. Additionally, 46,302 cases were not pursued, either because they were civil matters or were resolved between complainants before investigations began. Approximately 90,000 cases are still under inquiry.
The report highlights theft, common assault, domestic violence, fraud, and threats of violence as the leading crimes in 2024. Homicide cases rose slightly from 4,248 in 2023 to 4,329 in 2024, with 4,411 victims, including 3,703 males and 708 females. Murder by assault (1,339 cases) and mob justice (1,016 cases) were the leading causes of homicide. Strangulation-related murders totaled 491 cases. The regions with the highest homicide rates were Ankole, Bunyoro, Lango, and Rwenzori, while Ntungamo (91 cases), Luwero (86 cases), and Mukono (80 cases) reported the highest murder cases at the district level.
Theft accounted for over a quarter of total reported crimes, with 61,000 cases recorded in 2024. However, theft cases declined by 6.6 percent compared to the previous year. The police attributed theft incidents primarily to economic motives, with Ankole and Kampala Metropolitan Police North regions reporting the highest number of cases.
On road safety, the report revealed that 5,144 people died in road crashes in 2024, an increase from 2023. Among the fatalities, 1,720 were motorcyclists, 1,666 were pedestrians, 676 were motorcycle passengers, and 438 were passengers in other vehicles. Motorcyclists accounted for the highest number of deaths on the road, surpassing pedestrians, who were previously the most affected group. Road crash casualties also increased from 24,728 in 2023 to 25,808 in 2024, representing a 4.4 percent rise.
According to Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Lawrence Nuwabiine, Director of Traffic and Road Safety, most fatal crashes occurred during the day. Sundays recorded the highest number of crashes (3,790), followed by Saturdays (3,765) and Mondays (3,686), while Tuesdays had the lowest number of incidents (3,330).
Despite a decline in overall crime, Uganda continues to face serious security and road safety challenges. The police remain committed to implementing strategic interventions, including community policing, increased rural deployments, and enhanced road safety measures, to curb crime and fatalities across the country.
