OWC, Police Sign Partnership to Combat Crime Using Income Activities

Denzel Shantel January 8, 2018 3:11 pm

Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Uganda Police Force that will see vulnerable groups like youths empowered to engage in income generating activities as a way of preventing crime.

OWC believes this initiative will deal with issues like lack of income and idleness especially among the young people which often precipitates theft, robbery, murder and other related crimes.

The MOU was signed on Wednesday between the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation and the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura at Namunkekera Industrial Centre in Kapeka, Nakaseke district.

The signing ceremony was presided over by Esther Mbayo, the Minister for Presidency.

At the height of the insecurity occasioned by the spate of murders that targeted women in parts of Entebbe and Wakiso mid this year, Gen Saleh advised police to adopt a different approach to promote security.

He advised that agencies collaboration with OWC to help youths start businesses that will preoccupy them but also reduce their vulnerability to crime was an effective approach to combat crime.

Unemployment is known one of the biggest drivers of crime but even for the majority of the youths in Uganda who are interested in entrepreneurship, capital remains a challenge.

The proposal by Gen Saleh was later supported by Police and piloted in Nansana, and later Katabi town council which has restored a semblance of security in these areas in the last few months.

“We must start a program that focuses on solving social problems which create an environment of social behavior in which criminal gangs thrive,” IGP Gen Kayihura commented during a meeting with residents of Nansana in August.

He had further explained that youths are contracted to carry out crimes due to lack of income.

Operation Wealth Creation was introduced by President Yoweri Museveni in 2013 as an initiative aimed at transforming lives of the 69% households from susbsistence to commercial agriculture.