By Spy Uganda
Karamoja: The Uganda People’s Defence Force in the Karamoja Sub-region has disbanded ‘unruly’ Local Defence Units (LDUs) due to the public outcry as a result of increased cattle rustling practices and murder.
READ ALSO: Four LDUs Killed By Armed Moroto Cattle Rustlers
Ealier last week, Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, the commander of land forces told journalists that the army has decided to stop all the services rendered by LDUs and will only pick the few with a good record to integrate with the UPDF while the rest will be retired.
“They will return our uniforms and guns back to the army because we have noticed that the LDUs had become part of the problem in Karamoja,” he said.
In 2010, Karimojong former cattle rustlers were recruited under the orders of President Museveni to help consolidate the achieved peace in Karamoja. Each LDU personnel have been earning a monthly salary of shs 230,000. There are apparently some 15,000 LDUs in the region.
READ ALSO: Back Due To Public Demand: President Museveni Orders LDUs Back On Streets To Curb Crime Rate!
It should be remembered that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in 2018 ordered for the recruitment of 24000 LDUs following the spate of gun violence, kidnap and robbery crimes.
The order came after former Buyende District police commander, Muhammad Kirumira, had been gunned down near his home area in Bulenga, Wakiso District along Kampala-Mityana highway.
