Emitu bounces back as KMP Commander amidst surging crime

Emitu
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ezekiel Emitu has returned as Kampala Metropolitan (KMP) Police Commander, replacing Richard Ecega, who has faced criticism for failing to effectively manage crime in the city and its outskirts. Sources at Naguru Police Headquarters confirmed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abas Byakagaba appointed Emitu, currently at the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), to replace Ecega, who holds the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP).
Police Spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke had not responded to inquiries to confirm Emitu’s appointment. However, multiple sources at Naguru confirmed the development, which is part of a broader reshuffle affecting five other commanders in KMP, whose names were not yet released. ACP Emitu previously served as deputy to Frank Mwesigwa, who led KMP between 2016 and 2018. At that time, Mwesigwa was a CP while Emitu was Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).
In 2022, Mwesigwa was promoted to Senior Commissioner of Police (SCP), while Emitu was promoted to ACP. Mwesigwa later advanced to Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) in 2024 and currently serves as Director of Operations Service (OPS). Until his appointment, ACP Emitu was serving as Commandant of Kabalye Police Training School in Masindi District. Ecega’s next assignment was not known at the time of filing this story.
Kampala has recently experienced a surge in both isolated and organised crimes, leaving residents worried about their safety. Attacks have occurred in homes, public spaces, and along major highways. Recent high-profile incidents include the murder of Pamela Ruth Tumwebaze, the Uganda Christian Unity Director of Student Affairs, who was killed inside her bedroom last week. Earlier, two people, Shivan Asasira, wife of the Bugiri District Police Commander, and Lawrence Musinguzi, a security guard at Dave Hotel and Suites in Lungujja, Rubaga Division, were hacked to death at the hotel.
Other violent incidents include the killing of TikTok star Diana Namulinde, also known as Diana Skyz, inside her apartment in Kyanja, and the abduction and death of seven-year-old Michelle Nabukenya. Nabukenya, daughter of John Bukenya and Anita Kyobula of Wamala Zone in Kawanda, Wakiso District, was found dead in a garden by Stephen Kyeyune, who had gone to tend to his plot.
In addition to these murders, residents report increased street crimes. Thugs reportedly stage fake accidents, attack drivers with pavers, and rob passengers on motorcycles. Taxis have also been used to target commuters along major roads, including the Northern Bypass, Bulenga-Buloba, Kampala-Gaya, Naalya Roundabout, Namungoona, and Kampala-Nsangi.
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