Two suspected cattle thieves lynched in Bugweri

BUGWERI, UGANDA: An angry mob in Buwunga village, Buyanga sub-county in Bugweri district killed two suspected cattle thieves on Tuesday, local council authorities have reported.

The deceased have been identified as Collins Male aged 23 years and Isiiko Kalevu, 21 years old.

It is alleged that the two were riding a motorcycle with registration number; UFR 708W, ferrying beef and animal skins in two sacks, which they wanted to sell to interested butchers in the area, but when tasked to explain the source of this meat, they attempted to flee.

This act angered residents who rounded them off, stoning them to death, without alerting police authorities to intervene.

By press time, the deceased had been taken to Iganga general hospital mortuary, awaiting postmortem before their burial.

Peter Mulondo, the village L.C.1 chairperson says that their area is infested with insecurity, where thieves target livestock and fresh crops in the gardens.

“Eleven cows, 16 goats and an unspecified number of chickens were stolen from residents during the month of January 2023 alone, which has since bred intolerance among community members, some of whom resort to mob justice rather than seeking police intervention,” he says.

Mulondo wants police personnel to increase mobile patrols in the area, which he says will scare away thieves and create calm in their communities.

On her part, the Busoga East police spokesperson, Diana Nandawula, challenged residents to desist from involving themselves in the acts of mob justice, arguing that such tendencies instead create room for increased criminality, since ring leaders of these criminal gangs are never arrested because most of them flee into hiding following the demise of their accomplices.

Nandawula further advised the youth to devise alternative means of survival through involvement in modern agriculture activities, rather than involvement in criminal-related activities, which might result into their demise or long prison sentences.