Mbale residents petition Umukuka over rising crime wave

Mbale City, Uganda: Community leaders and residents in Mbale City have petitioned the Umukuka of the Bamasaaba, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, to intervene in addressing the rising wave of violent crime, including murders, rapes, and gang activity.

The petition was presented during a research dissemination workshop organized by the Bugisu NGO Forum (BUNGOF) in partnership with the Uganda National NGO Forum, where participants expressed deep concern over growing insecurity that is eroding public confidence and threatening livelihoods across the city and the wider Bugisu sub-region.

One participant, a pastor residing near Indian Quarters, narrated how suspected students from Nkoma Secondary School and surrounding areas nearly killed him as he tried to rescue a woman being robbed near Nabuyonga Primary School.

Steven Masiga, the Spokesperson of the Bamasaaba Cultural Institution, pledged to urgently convey the community’s concerns to His Highness the Umukuka. “Mbale City has witnessed a spate of murders in recent months,” he acknowledged.

“Just recently, thugs attacked an 18-year-old girl in broad daylight, hacked her to death, and stole her phone. Earlier, the son of former district speaker Charles Woniala was killed in Namakwekwe, and another student from Nakaloke SSS was murdered in cold blood,” Masiga added.

At the same workshop, Mr Masiga delivered a keynote address on the role of the cultural institution in uniting the Bamasaaba and outlined achievements, including support for Bulambuli landslide victims and mobilization of communities to benefit from government programs.

While validating the report’s findings about disunity and insecurity, he emphasized the institution’s non-partisan approach: “When dealing with our people, we remove political lenses. Those wearing yellow, red, or blue are all Bamasaaba children in different dresses, shopped from different markets. Our singular task is to build unity.”

BUNGOF Executive Director Iddi Mafabi urged participants to rally behind the cultural institution’s efforts to restore social cohesion and security.

Police data from 2024 indicates rising cases of rape and violent crime in Mbale City. Gangs, many involving street children and idle youth, continue to terrorize residents, particularly during evening hours.

In one recent incident, a Busitema University student was shot dead after being mistaken for a robber. Authorities have also linked some students from city schools to petty crimes such as phone snatching.

Residents expressed fear that the escalating violence is making the Bamasaaba feel increasingly unsafe in their own communities and appealed for urgent cultural and government-led interventions.