Mbale City, Uganda: Police in the Elgon region have urged drivers to respect traffic officers and follow road regulations after a taxi driver was lynched by an angry mob for allegedly knocking down a traffic officer at a checkpoint.
Speaking at the regional headquarters in Mbale City, Elgon Regional Police Spokesperson SP Taitika Rogers appealed to motorists and other road users to resolve grievances through lawful channels instead of resorting to violence.
“If an officer misbehaves, report him or her to the supervisors instead of committing other crimes. We urge drivers and road users to respect our officers on the roads. Some drivers condone lawlessness and fail to stop when given signals. It is very unfortunate and we need a relationship between officers and road users,” SP Taitika said.
The warning follows a tragic incident that occurred on February 27, 2026 at around 11:00am at the Doko Fika Salama traffic checkpoint near Sino Industrial Park.
According to police, motor vehicle registration number UA 922BQ, a white Toyota Hiace taxi, was travelling from Kamonkoli towards Mbale City when it allegedly knocked PC Namitego Emmanuel (No. 47705), a traffic officer attached to Mbale Industrial Division, who was on duty at the checkpoint.
Immediately after the crash, angry locals reportedly pulled the driver from the vehicle and lynched him. His identity had not yet been formally released by press time.
PC Namitego was rushed to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for treatment, while the deceased driver’s body was taken to Mbale City mortuary for a postmortem examination. The vehicle was towed to the police yard pending inspection and further investigations.
SP Taitika noted that police continue to register cases of overloading, driving without valid permits and operating mechanically unsound vehicles, urging strict compliance with traffic laws to reduce road crashes and confront errant drivers.
Police have called for calm and warned against mob justice, stressing that any grievances against officers should be reported through established command structures.
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