Uganda arrests 16 in Entebbe operation targeting gambling points and firearm suspect

Ugandan police arrested 16 suspects during an intelligence-led operation in Entebbe Municipality that targeted several known gambling points and other locations in Wakiso District, with the case escalating after officers recovered a pistol during the raid.

Police in Entebbe carried out the operation on 11 April 2026 across Wamala, Buzzi, Lutaba and Ssisa Village in Wakiso District. According to the Uganda Police Force, the raids focused on houses under construction in Hossana Estate and Jomayi Estate, as well as known gambling points, showing that the exercise was aimed at a mix of suspected criminal activity rather than a single isolated offence.

The immediate trigger, however, was not gambling alone. Police said the operation followed public outcry over an individual suspected of possessing an illegal firearm, and that 16 suspects were arrested during the coordinated sweep. That detail is important because it places the case at the intersection of public security, suspected illegal gambling activity and possible weapons offences.

One of the suspects, identified by police as Ronald Segujja, later led officers to the recovery of a pistol, which has now been secured as an exhibit. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson SP Racheal Kawala said the operation was based on credible intelligence and community concerns, underscoring that the authorities are presenting the raid as part of a wider preventive policing effort rather than a narrow vice crackdown.

All 16 suspects remain in police custody and are expected to be produced before court as investigations continue. At this stage, the reported gambling links should be treated as part of the operational focus of the raid rather than as proof that every suspect was part of an organised illegal gambling network. Still, the firearm recovery has clearly raised the stakes of the case and may push the investigation beyond gambling-related violations into broader criminal liability.

For Uganda’s enforcement picture, the Entebbe operation reflects a familiar pattern: gambling-related raids increasingly overlap with intelligence-led actions on wider security risks. If investigators establish stronger links between the suspects, the gambling points and the recovered weapon, this case could evolve from a local enforcement story into a broader example of how illegal betting locations can also become focal points for more serious criminal concerns.