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By Timothy Eodu
Joint security forces in Mt. Moroto have recovered two Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs) during an intelligence-led operation in Tapac Sub-County, Moroto District.
The operation was conducted on Tuesday, August 26, 2026, at around 1:00pm in Nakwanga Parish by a joint intelligence team working alongside uniformed officers from the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) and the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).
Two suspects were arrested during the operation. Security identified them as Lokolimoi Lokomolo, a resident of Didi Village, and Loyomo Lokorilem, a resident of Mutya Village, both in Nakwanga Parish, Tapac Sub-County.
According to Mt. Moroto Regional Police spokesperson for ASTU, IP Longole Mike, one SMG, serial number 15004, was recovered from Lokolimoi, while another, serial number 08897, was recovered from Loyomo. Both firearms were recovered without ammunition.
Longole credited intelligence officers and members of the local community for their cooperation and information that led to the recovery. He warned people illegally possessing firearms to voluntarily surrender them as operations to recover illegal guns continue.
The latest recovery comes against the backdrop of years of armed cattle raids and gun violence that once made parts of Karamoja highly insecure. In July 2021, the government launched Operation Usalama Kwa Wote, meaning Peace for All, bringing together the UPDF, ASTU and other security agencies to recover illegal firearms, curb cattle rustling and restore peace.
The operation has recorded significant results. By September 2024, the UPDF reported that 1,170 firearms, 9,217 rounds of ammunition and more than 53,000 heads of livestock had been recovered since the operation began. Earlier UPDF figures show how widespread illegal firearms had been during the height of the insecurity, with the operation recovering 170 guns and 2,232 rounds of ammunition by March 2022, alongside thousands of stolen animals.
Today, Karamoja is experiencing a far more stable security situation than during the peak of the renewed cattle raids, although isolated incidents and illegal firearms remain a concern. Recent intelligence-led recoveries, including operations in Kotido and other parts of Karamoja in 2026, show that security forces are continuing efforts to remove the remaining illegal guns from communities and consolidate the relative peace now prevailing across the sub-region.
