RCC Egole Warns Landlords Over Unregistered Tenants as Security Meeting Tackles Crime in Bar Apwo

Lira City Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Emmy Lawrence Egole has warned landlords against allowing people to occupy their houses without being properly registered, saying failure to keep records of tenants can create security risks in communities.

Egole made the remarks during a security and community engagement meeting held in Bar Apwo, Lira City West Division, where local leaders and residents discussed ways of strengthening security following the induction of new Local Council leadership.

The RCC directed landlords and other property owners to ensure that details of new tenants are submitted to the respective LC1 chairpersons for proper registration and community identification.

He warned that houses where occupants are not properly known can potentially become hiding places for criminals who move from other areas and settle in communities without being easily traced.

Egole also cautioned local leaders against turning tenant registration into a source of illegal charges.

He directed leaders to stop demanding unauthorized registration or administrative fees from residents reporting to their offices, emphasizing that security registration should serve the community and should not be used to extort money from tenants.

Call for vigilance against criminal activities

The meeting also focused on other activities that community members and leaders were urged to watch closely, including the use and sale of marijuana and other activities considered harmful to community safety.

Residents were encouraged to report suspected drug sellers, users and other suspicious activities to local leaders and the police rather than allowing such activities to continue unnoticed within residential areas.

The issue of witchcraft-related activities and allegations also came up during the security discussions, with community members urged to handle such matters carefully and report criminal acts to the relevant authorities instead of taking the law into their own hands.

Egole encouraged residents to work together with LC1 leaders and security agencies to identify emerging security threats within their neighbourhoods.

New LC leaders urged to work with police

The RCC further called upon the newly inducted Local Council leaders to strengthen cooperation with the Uganda Police and other security agencies.

He said local leaders are positioned to know the people living within their communities and should therefore play an active role in identifying suspicious persons, resolving emerging community security concerns and reporting serious cases to the appropriate authorities.

The engagement comes as communities in Lira City continue to rely on local leadership and neighbourhood-level information to strengthen security and improve the identification of residents.

Egole's message was that security begins within the community, with landlords, tenants, local leaders and residents all having a role to play in ensuring that people living within their neighbourhoods can be properly identified and accounted for.