Uganda Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke has said that journalists and media houses should strongly avoid spreading distorted information to the public if they are to uphold their institution’s credibility.
Rusoke, who was addressing journalists at the weekly security briefing at the Police Headquarters in Naguru on Monday, March 10, 2025, dismissed claims of misreporting crime statistics in its recently released Annual Crime Report 2024, urging media outlets to refrain from spreading false or distorted information.
His remarks follow allegations published by the Monitor Newspaper, which he said misrepresented the data in the police’s crime report, particularly on violent crimes such as homicides and rape. He noted that the newspaper falsely claimed a decline in homicide cases, contrary to the actual statistics.
“The annual crime report clearly shows a total of 4,329 cases of homicide reported in 2024, compared to 4,248 in 2023—an increase of 1.9%,” Rusoke stated. “The reporter gave a reversed narrative with unknown intentions.”
Similarly, the report indicated a rise in robbery cases, with 8,163 cases registered in 2024 compared to 7,772 in 2023—an increase of 5%.
Rusoke told journalists to refer to officially published data available on the police website before making conclusions, warning that misinformation undermines institutional credibility.
He then clarified the issue of suicide reporting, which was erroneously claimed to be absent in the report.
“Our policy prohibits the inclusion of incidents not legally classified as crimes in official reports. Suicide is not an offense under Ugandan law—only attempted suicide is classified as such,” he explained.
Rusoke further emphasized the thorough nature of the police’s data handling processes. He said the Uganda Police utilizes a comprehensive crime records management system that extends from local police posts to the CID headquarters, ensuring accuracy and integrity of information.
“There is a well-defined and traceable manner in which our records move from the lowest administrative unit to the CID headquarters before we make the final compilation of this information,” he added.
’Crime statistics are not estimates; they are not corridor talk; they reflect actual incidents; they reflect actual incidents recorded by the police,” he said. “It is misleading and irresponsible for anyone to suggest that we are painting a rosy picture.” He added.
He cautioned against the use of anonymous sources and unverified claims, reiterating the need for responsible journalism.
“There are many cases that come to police but are not recorded because, after analysis, they reveal no offense. Reporters must consult and verify before making insinuations,” he added.
Rusoke called on the media to avoid exaggeration and prioritize facts over speculation by visiting the Uganda Police website and analyze the report before reporting.
