Two firearms and five rounds of ammunition have been voluntarily handed over to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in Kotido District, in a move authorities say reflects growing community commitment to peace in the Karamoja sub-region.
The guns were received on Saturday by the Kotido Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Charles Ichogor, following a tip-off that armed youth in the area were willing to surrender their weapons to benefit from the government’s amnesty programme.
The firearms were handed over by Lomur Koki of Dapabwala Village in Lokitelaebu Town Council and Loila John, a resident of the same area. The exercise was witnessed by members of the area peace committee, elders, and the local councillor, Cecilia Dodoi.
RDC Ichogor commended the youth for voluntarily surrendering the guns, describing the act as a positive step toward lasting peace. He also praised local leaders for their role in mobilising communities to embrace peaceful coexistence and voluntary disarmament.
“This shows that our efforts in preaching peace and voluntary disarmament are bearing fruit,” Ichogor said.
Speaking during the handover, Lomur Koki said he acquired the firearm in 2024 for self-defence after his father, Lomoe Longole, was placed on a security wanted list and later imprisoned on charges related to illegal possession of firearms.
Koki said he later used the gun for hunting wild animals before deciding to bury it earlier this year to avoid detection, eventually choosing to surrender it to authorities.
Lopua Louro, a reformed youth who witnessed the handover, urged other young people still in possession of illegal firearms to follow suit and surrender their weapons in the interest of peace and community stability.
RDC Ichogor said his office, working with the District Community-Based Services Department, will profile the youth who surrendered the guns so they can benefit from government livelihood programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), to support their reintegration into society.
In November alone, at least five guns were recovered in Kotido District through voluntary disarmament efforts.
Authorities say the initiative is critical amid renewed intelligence reports of rearmament in parts of Karamoja during 2024—raising fears of a return to insecurity that plagued the region before the 2021 disarmament programme.
Security and local leaders continue to urge communities to cooperate with government efforts to sustain peace and development across Karamoja.
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