Luweero, Uganda: An 18-year-old student was left beaten to death in a suspected mob justice attack in Luweero Town Council, casting a dark shadow over the Boxing Day festivities and renewing concern over rising vigilante violence in the district.
The deceased, Jeremiya Mwesigwa, a student at Everest Secondary School, Luweero, was killed at around 3:00 am on Boxing Day at Kasana Market Zone, after he was allegedly caught snatching mobile phones from revellers returning from Nimrod Beach along Kasiiso Road.
The Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson, Sam Twiineamazima, confirmed the incident, describing it as a criminal mob attack.
According to police, Mwesigwa was chased, cornered and brutally assaulted by an unidentified mob, succumbing to injuries at the scene. “The victim was waylaid by an unknown group of people returning from celebrations and was accused of snatching mobile phones,” Twiineamazima said.
Police officers, including the regional scenes of crime team, homicide detectives, and uniformed personnel, responded to the scene and documented evidence. Investigators photographed the area, drew a sketch plan, and recovered key exhibits, including a stone, a blood-stained stick allegedly used in the assault, and two button mobile phones found in the deceased’s pockets.
The body was conveyed to Luweero Hospital Mortuary for a post-mortem examination, as detectives recorded statements from witnesses and the victim’s mother, a resident of Kiwogozi LC1.
Police disclosed that Mwesigwa was previously known in the Kasana area as a habitual offender and had recently been released from prison on robbery-related charges, though authorities emphasised that this did not justify the mob action.
Security agencies strongly condemned the killing, warning that mob justice undermines the rule of law and endangers innocent lives. “We urge the public to report crimes through official channels rather than taking the law into their own hands,” Twiineamazima said.
Investigations are ongoing as police trace the owners of the recovered phones and work to identify and arrest those responsible for the lynching.
A Growing Crisis in Luweero
The killing adds to Luweero District’s alarming record of mob violence. According to the latest Police Crime Report, at least 22 people were killed through mob action in 2024 alone, while the district recorded 86 murders, making it the second-deadliest district in the country that year.
Even more troubling, police data shows that 127 people were killed in mob attacks between 2019 and 2024, highlighting the entrenched nature of vigilante justice in the district. In November 2024 alone, Luweero registered seven mob justice cases.
Authorities link the surge in mob action to widespread theft, particularly of motorcycles. The Annual Crime Report shows that 138 motorcycles were stolen and 20 robbed in Luweero in 2024, ranking the district sixth nationwide for motorcycle theft cases.
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