14 NEW VISION, Tuesday, July 2, 2019 COMMENT OPINION Facilitate the Police better to curb crime n the wee hours of Saturday morning, a boda- boda cyclist was murdered in Rubaga by two men he had been transporting. The incident Ibecame public knowledge with circulation by Police of the incident, footage of which was captured by a nearby private CCTV camera. According to the recent Police crime report, between January and March this year 28 cases of theft/robbery of bodabodas were reported. In half of the incidents, the motorcyclists were murdered and 17 suspects have been arrested and charged. In the same division, a mobile money dealer, Juliet Nabaasa, was gunned down in cold blood at the entrance to her home. The Police have concluded the motive was murder as neither the money she Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana has told Evelyn Anite to back off UTL because she has no powers over it had on her, about sh6m, or land titles were taken. While statistically these events may be written off as isolated incidents, they have resulted in death Dr Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari, Entrepreneur — two deaths too many. It would be an unrealistic expectation of the Police to pre-empt such crimes, but not so to expect them to provide sufficient deterrent by their actions, that intending criminals will think long and hard before they get involved in such activities. How marketing Uganda or starters, it is imperative that we beef up regular Police patrols. These criminals often strike because they are confident gets easier in West Nile Fthat security agents can not muster a rapid enough response to foil their plans or apprehend n June 20, I made a quick visit to Billions of shillings are literally minted at Arua Park them. Arua town, and Muni University in every year, in trade and transport, employing youth in Relatedly, the Police need to improve its forensics particular, days after publishing an their hundreds while the development of commercial capacity. When crimes are committed, it is possible article about why I thought the West buildings there has also taken a whole new trajectory. Nile is the epitome of regional trade. What is even more amazing is that the activity at the most criminals go scot free because the Police may My visit was to take a physical spot park is a reflection of what is happening back in Arua not have capable enough crime scene investigators, Osurvey of the venue for the upcoming Uganda- and the entire northern Uganda. Big business brands like forensics experts from DNA to ballistics analysis to Germany Investment Symposium 2019 which is slated Toyota and Tata, smelt the money and ran fast to set base for July 25 and 26. However, what was planned as a in Arua, changing the face of business in the area. handwriting or voice analysis. This compromises spot visit to assess the readiness of the venue, turned The hospitality business has been taken to a new level their ability to arrest the culprits after the fact for me into a tour, in awe of the beauty and splendour by the natives as well as investors from other parts of the adding to the feeling of impunity the criminals feel. that is the West Nile and the entire northern Uganda. country and the world who, having realised the potential These are off-the-head solutions, but we are sure What used to be marks of the dark past that that was created by the upsurge of humanitarian characterised the northern part of Uganda has organisation activity in the area, took advantage of that there are many other possibilities for improvement. currently turned into a bustle of economic activity. and invested. None, from my entrepreneurial This is a free country, its law-abiding citizens Right from Bweyale, some several miles before experience, regret their decision. should not have to restrict the time, means or Karuma Bridge, to Kiryandongo, past the I need not repeat what I wrote here Karuma Bridge onwards to Pakwach and the last time that the link that West location of their movements for fear of their lives into the heart of the West Nile, which is Nile and northern Uganda provides and property. We need to facilitate the Police better Arua, there is a completely new story for a Arua connects to neighbouring countries, DR Congo, South for them to fulfill their mandate. traveller who, about two decades ago, thought Sudan and the Central African Republic, is a twice about travelling north. gold mine, literally speaking. The vast expanses of land from Karuma Bridge Uganda to three On my visit, I drove to the Vurra border post coupled with the miles of drive in the game park and I was allowed to cross into the DR Congo. from the bridge up to Pakwach on the Nile as countries: DR Only a 10-minute drive from Arua town, the one drives to West Nile makes the otherwise border post is a business hub in its own right. Editorial Tel: 0414 337000/337139/337125; long journey a casual experience of unpaid for While there, we were told that a lot of food Fax: 0414 235843; P. 0. BOX 9815 Kampala. tourism. Congo, South stuffs cross from either side of the border, Email: [email protected]; On top of the many options of free sites that providing the locals there with a stable source [email protected] the journey provides, it also provides many of income. opportunities for a potential investor in the Sudan and Arua alone connects Uganda to all three Marketing/Advertising Tel: 0414337000 tourism industry as well as the agriculture, countries, while other districts in the region Fax: 0414 232050 hospitality and education sectors. Central African like Koboko link Uganda, DR Congo and South Email: [email protected] A good way for one who has not yet had the Sudan at the hill commonly called Salia Musala Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC); opportunity to travel to Arua to understand the which has parts of it in all the three countries. Company listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange potential of the area, is to look at Arua Park in Republic There can be no better way to market the the capital Kampala. The business centre has country’s vast potential in investment and www.newvision.co.ug over the last three decades grown from strength tourism than showing off northern Uganda and to strength, positioning itself as the second largest I have made it my mission in life to take on this task. business centre in Kampala and the country at large. For subscriptions/bulk buying Business in Arua Park is mainly concentrated on The writer is the national chairman of the NRM Call 0774732913/0414337245/ 0772446204 trade in goods that are headed to northern Uganda Entrepreneurs League and chairman of the Email [email protected] which comprises Acholi sub-region, Lango, West Nile National Organising Committee of the Uganda- as well as northeastern Karamoja. Germany Investment Symposium 2019.