Crime in Uganda

The Uganda Police Force (UPF) is responsible for policing and criminal investigations under Article 212 of the Constitution. Its Criminal Investigations Directorate, Child and Family Protection Department, sexual-offences services and Community Policing structures handle different parts of the response. The Professional Standards Unit receives complaints about police conduct. In 2024, UPF recorded 61,529 theft cases, 29,580 assaults, 14,425 sexual-related offences, 9,408 child-related offences, 13,511 breakings, 13,107 economic crimes, 8,163 robberies and 4,329 homicides. These figures describe reported cases rather than total prevalence. For the same year, 81,750 cases reached court, 26,328 resulted in convictions, 43,579 remained pending, 90,663 were under inquiry and 46,302 were not proceeded with. Case duration therefore varies and a report does not guarantee a rapid conclusion. For an emergency, call 999 or 112. For a non-emergency, report the crime at a local police station in person or by telephone; the UPF website does not accept crime reports. Give the available facts, preserve documents and other evidence, and request the relevant reference details. Do not use community mediation as a substitute for reporting child abuse or serious offences, and do not take revenge or attempt self-justice. Prevention may involve personal vigilance, access control at homes or businesses, community patrols, neighborhood watch, Community Liaison Officers and local LC or community structures. The Sub-County Policing Model had reached 23 of 32 policing regions, or 72%, in 2025, so practical police and community responses are not uniform across Uganda. Sauti 116 is a free, confidential, 24-hour service for children and adults affected by violence, abuse or related crime. It can connect callers with counselling, rescue, health care, justice assistance, legal aid and social support. The national call centre in Kireka refers cases to district action centres and Probation and Social Welfare Officers, who may coordinate with UPF, health centres, courts, shelters and civil-society organizations. District-level capacity and access to shelters, legal aid and psychosocial services are not uniform nationwide. Adults who know about child abuse have a reporting duty under the Children (Amendment) Act 2016. Reports can be made to the police, a local council structure or Sauti 116. Child online abuse can also be reported through Sauti 116, UPF or CERT.UG/CC. For mobile-money fraud, SIM-swap fraud, vishing, smishing or identity theft, contact the telecommunications provider immediately, including through 100 where available, then report to the police on 999 or 112. Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) can handle telecommunications-fraud complaints through 0800222777 without a fee and may support SIM or device blocking. CERT.UG/CC and NITA-U handle technical incident analysis, response and vulnerability matters, while UPF Cyber Crime and Forensics investigate criminal conduct. Keep the device, messages, call logs, transaction IDs and screenshots; deleting them can weaken the investigation.