Police yesterday said murders in the country were on the rise because of the rampant influx of guns and ammunition through Uganda's porous borders.

Police publicist Simon Kuteesa told journalists that most of the murders in the country were a result of shooting, mob justice, assault, suicide and love gone bad.

"The major challenge we have is that our borders are porous and there is no way we can fight the influx of the ammunitions," Kuteesa said, as police released its latest murder report.

The force had stepped up investigations and was enhancing community policing, Kuteesa said. Police figures show that four murder cases were reported in January, seven in February, another seven in March, while April, May, June and July recorded 12, 4, 12, and 8 respectively.

"This has awakened the police force to make strides in investigating the cases and a number of suspects have been arrested and produced in the courts of law," he said.

But some of the cases remain unresolved, despite a professed commitment to bring the culprits to book. Kuteesa specifically mentioned Henry Kayiira, proprietor of Namutidde Investments, in Kiboga, who was killed on July 10. Investigations have led to the arrest of Jamil Kafeero, Mulani Ssekajja, and Bosco Ssebuguzi.

The trio were found with an assortment of exhibits including a sub machine gun and two magazines. Police has since also recovered a car, Toyota land cruiser, Reg. Number UAN 283Y, which the suspects confessed to have stolen from Kiwatule, a Kampala suburb and sold it in Sudan.

The suspects were also nabbed with batches of keys for different vehicles. Kuteesa added that they are following up on a murder case committed in Mbarara on July 24. It is alleged that some people lured a businessman to a witch doctor's shrine from where he was forced to drink a substance that killed him instantly. His body was found in his vehicle abandoned at Kakoma village, Mbarara municipality.

Kuteesa said the recently established Violence Crime Intelligence and Operation Unit (VCIOU) had so far arrested over 30 suspects and recovered several fire arms.