Two Suspected Thugs Lynched in Kampala

Two suspected thugs were on Tuesday lynched on Old Port Bell Road in Industrial Area, Kampala.   

According to Ibrahim Ssempala, a boda-boda rider on Old Port Bell Road, the unidentified thugs allegedly used a hammer to kill a fellow boda-boda rider in areas in Kabalagala. They stole his motorcycle at around 5:00 am on Tuesday.  

He explained that the thugs were spotted by a group of boda-boda riders, who chased them and were later joined by others in Namuwongo. The pursuit continued until the thugs were cornered near the meat packers at Old Port Bell.  

"They chased them until they cornered them here and started stoning them until they were killed in the early hours. The bodies were then dumped across the road. Police from Jinja Road station arrived, but it was too late, when when the group had even left the scene." Ssempala narrated.  

He alleged that the suspects were part of a group of gangs who target their boda-boda riders, steal motorcycles, and sell the spare parts in Katwe and Ndeba areas.  

"Many of our colleagues have been killed by such groups, and their motorcycles were stolen and sold for scrap in Katwe. At this point, when they are caught and handed over to the police, they are immediately released. People are fed up, and we want to make it clear that killing a boda-boda rider and attempting to steal their motorcycle will come with great risk." Ssempala.    

But John Muddu, Chairman of the Boda-Boda riders at Meat Parkers, condemned the mob justice, stating that it damages the reputation of the entire boda-boda community.

"It's unacceptable for boda-boda riders to take the law into their own hands, as this damages our reputation and portrays us as lawless," Muddu stated. "Instead, we should let the police handle investigations and arrests without interfering with them then we shall have cleared our industry. Muddu"  

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango said that Investigations have started. 

“A team of homicide detectives from Jinja-Road have documented the scene and investigations are also ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and identifying the victims and the perpetrators,” Onyango said.

A 2015 Afro-barometer survey uncovered disturbing trends in Uganda, where 17% of adults confessed to participating in mob justice or expressed a willingness to do so. 

The survey attributed this inclination towards mob justice to widespread distrust in Uganda's formal justice system, with many citizens questioning its capacity to provide fair and efficient justice.