Police arrest eight robbery suspects terrorising Kampala residents

KAMPALA, UGANDA: Police in Kampala are holding eight people on suspicion of engaging in robbery incidents within the city.

The suspects include Musasizi ABudu, Asiku Juma aka Bony, Alifa aka Umar Kintu, Mugisha Trevor aka Ever hat and Emma Sonko.

Others were identified as Farouk Kigongo, Mesach Sserugo aka Misi and Amis Wakabi.

According to Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Mr Patrick Onyango, the suspects are believed to be the criminals that waylay residents along city routes and rob them using boda bodas.

Onyango said the eight individuals were arrested from Kawempe areas on Friday after a police investigation led them to one of the scenes of crime from two victims who reported their cases to the Police between February 23 and March 7.

One of the victims identified as Leticia Namutebi said she was reportedly attacked on February 23 by men riding on four motorcycles and robbed her of an iPhone and money.

In defence of herself, it is alleged that one male suspect who managed to flee the scene pulled out a machete (panga), which had been hidden beneath the seat of the motorcycle and threatened to harm the suspect.

In another incident reported on March 7, Juma Ssekatawa of Mackay Road in Kampala reported a group of people who are said to have robbed him of his phone.

“Luckily enough, our patrol team was near and as he (Ssekatawa) was engaging the thugs, our team arrived,” said Onyango, adding that although the suspects fled the scene, police said they left behind one motorcycle of registration number UFQ 952Y.

“Using intelligence and our CCTV team, we managed to trace these assailants in Kawempe in Nkere zone,” Police said.

The Kampala police spokesperson said some of those arrested had confessed to being the same group operating in the areas of Namungoona, Lubiri in Mengo and Kawempe.