Ibanda, Uganda:- The Uganda Police Force has confirmed the arrest of 29 suspects in connection with the brutal murder of a police officer who was attacked by a mob during a funeral in Ibanda District over the weekend.
PC Chemonges Suleiman was tragically killed by a mob while guarding the funeral of Kahangire Lazarus, an inmate who died at Nyabuhikye Government Ibanda District. Kahangire had been arrested by police for attempted murder before he met his death at the hands of the prison facility.
According to Uganda Police Spokesperson ACP Michael Rusoke Kituuma, “At around 2:00 PM, PC Chemonges was attacked by a mob at the funeral grounds. The mob accused him of involvement in Kahangire’s arrest and subsequent detention in prison.”
Despite firing warning shots to disperse the angry crowd, PC Chemonges was overpowered and killed on-site. “Police later recovered an SMG rifle with 16 rounds of ammunition from the scene and transported Chemonges’ body to Ruhoko Health Centre mortuary for postmortem examination,” ACP Kituuma said in a press release issued Monday, April 7, 2025.
“We have since arrested 29 suspects connected to the murder and [are] continuing with the search for additional perpetrators,” Kituuma added, emphasising that the Force is committed to ensuring justice is served.
Police, however, condemned the violent act, describing it as criminal and unacceptable. “The Uganda Police Force condemns this violent act and assures the public that all those involved in this criminal act will be held accountable,” Kituuma noted.
The Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report 2023 indicated that there were 1,039 reported cases of murder by mob action, resulting in 1,056 deaths. This marked an increase from previous years, with 746 cases in 2021 and 954 cases in 2022.
The report also indicated that 1.8% of these mob actions were triggered by accusations of witchcraft. Furthermore, only a fraction of these cases led to arrests and prosecutions, underscoring the challenges in addressing mob justice effectively.
Kituuma urged the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and advised the residents to report grievances through appropriate legal channels so as to prevent such tragic incidents.
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