Shilaku wants police to impound and pour all crude waragi including that being sold in bars. He warns that the bar owners who don’t heed the directive shall be arrested.
Moroto Resident District
Commissioner, James Shilaku has directed the police to
strictly enforce the Enguli Act that prohibits the production, sale, and distribution of illicit alcohol in an attempt to resolve security issues.
Police have only been impounding large quantities of crude
waragi ferried from other
regions to Karamoja. However, the RDC has ordered the police to impound even the smallest
quantity being sold in drinking joints within Moroto district.
He cited the orders on
Monday citing indiscriminate killings of civilians by suspected warriors in
the outskirts of Moroto town, especially in Katanga. Security has often blamed alcohol
as the driving factor behind the raids, saying warriors
first consume alcohol to gather courage and as well use the money obtained from
selling the stolen animals on
drinking waragi.
In some incidents, warriors have been captured with bottles of
crude waragi, an indication that they first consume the waragi before embarking on their mission. Now, Shilaku wants police to impound and pour all
crude waragi including that being sold in bars. He warns that the bar owners
who don’t heed the directive shall be arrested.
//Cue in: ‘’No waragi hapa …
Cue out:… no more waragi here.’’//
The RDC’s directive has generated mixed
reactions from the public, saying it could
affect the local economy that is supported by this business.
//Cue in: But now they are …
Cue out: … fueling raiding.’’//
David Koriang, the Moroto district
LC V Chairperson has welcomed the
directive, saying it should take immediate effect to save lives.
//Cue in: ‘’since waragi …
Cue out: … by three quarters.’’//
Only 37 percent of the alcohol in Uganda comes from breweries while the remaining percentage, which is unregulated is domestically
produced.
Stanley Ebele
Freelancer