Police in Jinja district are investigating the lynching of 28-year-old Ronald Mutebi on Saturday by irate residents who accused him of leading a racket of armed robbers along the
Jinja-Iganga highway.
Mutebi was lynched while attempting to flee into Kakira sugarcane
plantation, in Jinja district.
The and his colleagues still at large are accused of
robbing valuables from passengers who disembark from commuter vehicles along
the highway.
It is reported that the suspects would pose as to be motorcycle/ boda boda operators who instead would take advantage of the deserted places within the plantations and
rob their unsuspecting passengers.
Shakib Waiswa, a casual laborer within the neighboring
plantations says that the suspects have been robbing passengers throughout the
festive season.
“We would see them park numberless motorcycles near the
plantation as part of their crew went out to source passengers along the
highway, however, over time, some of their clients would return to trace for
them after losing part of their property,” he says.
Robert Ndaase, a resident within the area says that there
are communities scattered across the sugarcane plantations, however, the routes
leading to some of those areas are deserted and ill-minded people take
advantage of such quiet places to harm unsuspecting victims.
Ndaase explains that some residents within the area tracked
down these suspects, lynched one of them and the others fled.
Kiira regional police spokesperson, James Mubi says that
inquiries are underway, but he advised members of the general public to desist
from mob justice tendencies, arguing that, such acts frustrate efforts of
prosecuting and eradicating criminal gangs from society.
