Crime surge in Kampala: Citizens live in fear as gangs resurface

Ugandans, particularly those living in Kampala and its suburbs, are now gripped by constant fear and paranoia due to the resurgence of criminal gangs that brazenly attack their victims even in public view.

In recent weeks, a series of videos have surfaced on social media, showing these violent assaults. One of the first videos to gain attention involved Ashraf Kiiza, who attempted to rob Sam Turyamuhaki at Bashir Grain Millers in Nateete Kuttaano. Armed with a panga and hammer, Kiiza violently demanded money from Turyamuhaki, assaulting him in the process.

Turyamuhaki managed to defend himself, sustaining only minor injuries and is currently undergoing treatment. Two days later, police reported that Kiiza had been located in Kyotera. On May 21, he was presented in court and remanded to Luzira until June 27.

Another disturbing video, captured by a CCTV camera along Ben Kiwanuka street, shows Tomson Mugisha being assaulted by two attackers. One of the assailants delivered a powerful kick that incapacitated Mugisha. He was then repeatedly beaten on the ground while onlookers did nothing. The second assailant robbed him of Shs 450,000, a bag containing important documents, and other belongings.

ARRESTS

The police were able to track down and arrest the suspects. Derrick Mugisa, also known as “Musota,” who was seen in the video kicking the victim, was apprehended along with two other suspects, Peter Senyonjo, also known as Kakima, and Nuur Lweyama, also known as Mu TZ (Tanzanian).

The police stated that the trio admitted to acting under the command of another individual, for whom efforts are intensifying to bring to justice. Furthermore, according to a post making rounds on X, it is alleged that Isaac Mukumbi, a physics and math teacher at St. Maria Goretti Girls SS, passed away following an attack by thugs.

He suffered cranial haemorrhage and was admitted to Mulago hospital, where he later died. These incidents are part of a continuation of criminal activities that have marred Kampala and its suburbs, including Kawempe, Nabweru, Nateete, Kasubi, and the Northern Bypass.

Various cases of robbery, thugs wielding pangas, throwing pavers, and others masquerading as boda riders and taxi drivers have been reported, raising significant security concerns for Ugandans. Recently, the Crime Intelligence Unit in Kampala Metropolitan Police, in coordination with the Flying Squad Unit Kampala Metropolitan South, conducted an intelligence-led operation that resulted in the arrest of four suspects who were part of a taxi criminal gang.

This gang had been targeting women traveling to work early in the morning or returning late from work. Disguised as taxi operators, the suspects would lure female victims into their taxis, where they would strangle and suffocate them using polythene bags. They then robbed the women of their bags, smartphones, and other valuables before dumping the victims’ bodies in Kajjansi town council.

CAUTION TO PUBLIC

“We continue to caution all members of the public who leave their homes very early and those who return late from work to be very careful while boarding taxis that are not from the gazetted stage points and those whose occupants are all male. Moving in groups is also advised because serial killers prey on lone and vulnerable victims,” Fred Enanga, the police spokesman, said during the weekly police briefing.

These notorious and organized crimes not only create insecurity in the country but also cause economic losses and physical injuries to individuals. This highlights the need for security organs to intensify efforts to curb these criminals, as emphasized by Brian Ssewakiryanga from Kireka, one of the victims of these criminal operations.

Ssewakiryanga recounted his experience with these criminals, stating that they stole his new motorcycle worth about Shs 5 million right from his home. Despite reporting the matter to the police, he received little help as the officers demanded more money to follow up the case, adding to his already substantial losses.

“I was so devastated because I had just parked my motorcycle a few minutes earlier and entered my house. When I came out, it was gone, even though I had locked it. I don’t know how they managed to take it,” he said.

Shadia Mukyaala, a trader at Ham Shopping Grounds, shared a similar experience. Thieves masquerading as customers stole her brand-new laptop and the money in her bag. Although the CCTV cameras in the building recorded the theft, by the time the culprits were tracked down, her laptop had already been sold, making its retrieval impossible.

“I gave up on the case because such things require money, yet I had already lost my laptop and wasn’t going to get it back,” Shadia said.

Former police officer and security analyst Fred Egesa, speaking on NTV about the current state of security and boda boda gangsters, criticized the effectiveness of police patrols at night. He attributed this to the country’s poor legislation.

“When young men are assigned to patrol, their pockets are empty, leading them to help themselves to others’ pockets,” Fred Egesa said.

Furthermore, Egesa pointed out that the continuous impounding of motorcycles by traffic officers, often seen in large numbers at police stations in Kampala, partially contributes to the increasing cases of criminal gang activity.

“You’ll often find hundreds of boda bodas gathering dust, yet someone out there bought it intending to make a living, only to have it impounded. With no alternative means to survive, they may resort to joining a gang, leading to continued attacks on people,” Egesa said.

Commenting on the same issue, Pius Katunzi, a regular user of online transport applications, raised a concern about ordering a Safe Boda or Uber car. He noted that while the applications display the number plate of the vehicle coming to pick up the customer, the actual vehicle that arrives often has a different number plate.

Katunzi stated, “This is a potential threat in case the driver turns out to be a criminal, as there is no way to immediately follow up or report the number to the company.”

Efforts to reach Safe Boda and Uber, the most used transport applications, for their comments on the issue were in vain as they did not reply to emails before press time. However, Joseph Katongole, a Safe Boda rider, explained that such cases occur when a rider, after initially registering with the company, gets a new motorcycle for various reasons and does not update the company with the new number plate.

RESOLVABLE CRIMES

Luke Oweyesigire, the deputy spokesperson of Kampala Metropolitan Police, stated that these crime activities are not new and have always been investigated and resolved.

“The only difference now is that there is the leaking of CCTV footage, which helps us identify the suspects more easily,” he noted.

“Our intelligence is on the ground because that is the most important thing. Whether it is a group of thugs or organized crime, all these are just victims who become violent whenever they engage in acts of robbery,” he said.

Oweyesigire added that the police have now increased patrols in both usually busy areas and less busy areas to ensure timely response whenever the police are needed in cases of violence.