How Waragi bust in Kotido uncovered crisis of trust
Despite the ban, waragi remains deeply embedded in the region’s informal economy flowing through illegal routes, protected at times by those meant to enforce the law.
Kotido: What began as a routine vehicle stop has become a flashpoint in Karamoja’s battle against illicit alcohol and institutional corruption.
In the early hours of a quiet Friday morning, security personnel at Lokitelaebu checkpoint intercepted an Isuzu lorry loaded with 445 jerrycans of crude waragi and seven male occupants.
The bust, massive in scale, sparked immediate outcry not only because of the illegal cargo, but because the vehicle had passed several checkpoints undetected, raising troubling questions about collusion, bribery, and the erosion of public trust in the region’s security apparatus.
By daybreak, Kotido Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Charles Ichogor had ordered the arrest and investigation of all security officers manning those checkpoints that night.
“Some of these operations have become commercial ventures for those entrusted to protect us,” Ichogor told UG Reports at Kotido Central Police Station. “This is not just illegal it is a moral crisis.”
The intercepted lorry, registration UBJ 823M, was reportedly traveling from Lira and was finally halted at the last checkpoint before entering Kotido town.
Under Presidential Executive Order No. 3 of 2023, the production, sale, transportation, and consumption of crude waragi is strictly banned in Karamoja due to its association with rising addiction, health complications, and social instability.
Despite the ban, waragi remains deeply embedded in the region’s informal economy flowing through illegal routes, protected at times by those meant to enforce the law.
“This waragi didn’t sneak in,” said Esther Atim, a local women’s rights advocate. “It walked in under the nose of our protectors. We need more than arrests. We need reform, accountability, and healing.”
Lt. Col. Emmy Kafureka, commander of the 43rd Battalion, confirmed that if officers are found to have taken bribes or facilitated the truck’s journey, they will face both military and civilian prosecution.
The arrested suspects Tonny Abol, George Opio, Thomas Agol, Daniel Okello, Hillary Emuna, Joshua Ogwang, and Elly Odokori remain in custody. The truck and its contents are being held as key exhibits in the unfolding investigation.
But for many in Karamoja, the arrests are not enough. The incident highlights a systemic failure of oversight, integrity, and trust one that cannot be solved by punishment alone.
With alcohol abuse continuing to devastate communities, leaders and civil society actors are now advocating for deeper, more sustainable interventions and these include; rotating officers more frequently to prevent long-term collusion and reduce the risk of corruption, introducing third-party audits and digital monitoring systems at key security posts.
Others are setting up secure, anonymous reporting channels to empower citizens to expose corruption, partnering with local churches, schools, and cultural institutions to highlight waragi’s harmful effects and promote safer alternatives, expanding access to vocational training, cooperative agriculture, and microfinance programs, especially targeting vulnerable youth often lured into smuggling.
In the courtyard of Kotido Central Police Station, the seized truck now stands motionless a symbol of both state failure and a chance for institutional renewal.
RDC Ichogor is adamant: “This region cannot heal if the gatekeepers are silent partners in its undoing. Let this not be a one-off. Let this be a turning point.”
Whether this incident remains a headline or becomes a harbinger of real change depends on what comes next from government, from security forces, and from the people of Karamoja, who have long borne the cost of impunity.
Do you have an advertisement or article you want to publish? Mail us at theugreports@gmail.com or WhatsApp +256757022363.
