TRANSFORMED ARUA GANG LEADERS CALL FOR SUPPORT TO THE GHETTO TO FIGHT INSECURITY

By Morish Dramadri

Arua city

The transformed leaders of gang groups in Arua city are seeking for support from the political leaders and other stakeholders to join in their effort to transform the teen thugs from the Ghetto who are now willing to transform from their actions.

Arua Ghetto currently homes hundreds of children from different parts of the region used by the various gangs groups within the city in the recent crime activities of phone snatching and others.

Following the recent step down of one of their leader, Ali Tororo from his criminal activities, the children have been left without a leader to carry on with their criminal activities.

According to Ali, these children in the ghetto now need support of every stakeholder to move them out of the streets criminalities. “I had been a leader of the gangs but I realized that life was useless and I have surrendered, now there are several ghetto kids I had been helping and they are still demanding me of the help I used to give them not knowing that I have transformed, now how shall I start to support them. Others want to go to school but there is no support. If our leaders can only extend support to these children, I am hopeful that we shall end criminality in this city,” Ali appealed.

Swale Taban commonly known by his social media name Manzikala, the Ghetto president of Arua equally enticed government to offer support to the ghetto children through housing and feeding since these are street children lured into criminality by conditions.

“My appeal is that government should come to support these children, find a place to house these children, let these children be gathered in one place and brought up there, let these children be properly catered for,” Swale cried out.

Among the demands of the ghetto children include, skills trainings, education, and talent development through boxing among others.

Saidi Kapere the local council one chairman of Adriko cell, Kenya ward in Arua central division where these ghetto children are currently being housed confirmed that, “Every time when people say there are so many thieves in Kenya ward, they are just these young children, some of them are orphans and others under single parenting where they find it hard to be in school and join bad groups where they start smoking opium and then move into theft on streets, now they have come out to seek support and move out of their criminal acts, I request these children be involved in productive activities like car washing, we shall monitor them keenly,” Kapere testified. 

Hon. Oshino Rashid the secretary for security Arua central division who doubles as the chairman Arua boxing club called on the political leaders to shift focus on the ghetto so as to secure Arua city from future threats of insecurity.

“These ghetto youth are sleeping in the corridors covering themselves with dirty sacks, let us focus and draw our attention towards the ghetto family if we want to see safe and secure Arua tomorrow, these are very young children if we ignore them this time, they can pose danger to the city tomorrow,” Oshino said. 

Arua city in the recent past has been overwhelmed with criminalities masterminded by organized gang groups.