news 26 September 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Soroti Student Detained Amidst Rising Youth Gang Violence
Police in Soroti have arrested a student from Soroti Senior Secondary School with 22 rounds of live ammunition, including AK-47 rounds and RPG bullets, amid a worrying surge in youth gang activity in the region. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/police-detain-student-over-illegal-ammunition-as-youth-gangs-surge-in-soroti-5610424
Authorities in the East Kyoga region are investigating a student from Soroti Senior Secondary School who was apprehended with a cache of live ammunition. The arrest followed a tip-off from a fellow student after an altercation. A search of the suspect’s residence reportedly uncovered 20 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) bullets.
Deputy Regional Police Commander for East Kyoga, Richard Musisi, stated that investigators are exploring potential links between the student and recent armed criminal incidents in the area. “We want him to explain to us where he got the 20 rounds of AK-47 and 2 rounds of an RPG,” Musisi commented, adding that police suspect a connection to a recent shooting of a boda boda rider.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of increasing youth-led criminal gangs in Soroti, with a significant portion of the inmate population under 30. Musisi highlighted that police are actively tracking several organized criminal groups, including “BB Youth Gang,” “Ikong,” “Press 1,” and two separate gangs operating within the school premises.
“Youth are becoming a problem because they are trying to survive,” Musisi explained. He noted that some gang leaders are confrontational, even towards police command. In light of this, Musisi praised a recent vocational training initiative in renewable energy skills as a crucial intervention to divert young people from criminal paths by equipping them with employable skills. The training was a collaboration between Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Uganda Martyrs Polytechnic Soroti, and funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
The “Green Energy for Women and Youth” project focused on practical skills in solar technology, electric mobility, and the production of energy-saving stoves and briquettes. Officials expressed hope that such programs can foster self-employment and reduce criminality among the youth.