Mayuge, Uganda: Police in Mayuge District have confirmed the deaths of three suspected cattle thieves after an angry mob attacked a group accused of stealing livestock in a violent mob justice incident on Tuesday morning.
The incident happened at around 8:30 am in Buwolya Village, Mayuge District, where occupants of a Toyota Wish registration number UBN 162U were allegedly found untethering two heads of cattle belonging to a resident identified as Ibrahim Balitamuto.
According to Busoga East Regional Police spokesperson Michael Kasadha, residents raised an alarm after spotting the suspects, triggering a violent pursuit by locals.
“On sighting them, he allegedly made an alarm, which attracted residents. The residents intercepted the vehicle and set it ablaze as the occupants fled. The mob then pursued the group to Bufulubi A village, where they were assaulted with sticks and stones,” ASP Kasadha said.
Police said one suspect was lynched and burnt beyond recognition at the initial scene, while three others escaped with injuries and reportedly sought treatment at Peach Medical Centre in Musita Town Council.
However, the injured suspects were allegedly traced by locals who forcefully removed them before taking them to Bufulubi A Village, where two of them were beaten to death by the mob.
The fourth suspect, identified as Frank Mulindwa, a resident of Bugembe Town Council in Jinja City, was arrested while receiving treatment at Ayan Drug Shop.
“The remaining suspect in the cattle stealing case was arrested from Ayan Drug Shop where he was getting treatment,” ASP Kasadha confirmed.
Police detectives later visited the crime scenes, recovered the two heads of cattle as exhibits and transported the bodies to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examinations.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
DailyExpress has further established that during the chase, the suspects reportedly reached Bufulubi in Imanyiro Sub-county and attempted to disguise themselves as accident victims due to the injuries they had sustained during the mob pursuit.
A resident identified as Watambula Awali told this website that the suspects were initially taken to a health facility in Musita before locals discovered they were allegedly linked to cattle theft.
“They brought the suspects to a health facility in Musita but locals picked them up before taking them to Bufulubi where they were lynched. They were brought on motorcycles claiming to be accident victims before information emerged that they were cattle thieves,” Awali said.
The latest incident adds to growing concerns over mob justice cases in Uganda, where suspects are often attacked or killed by angry residents before formal police investigations and court processes can take place.
According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report 2025, mob justice and assault-related incidents remain among the leading forms of violent community crime, largely driven by public mistrust in the criminal justice system and delays in prosecution processes.
Police have repeatedly warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands, urging communities to arrest suspects and hand them over to authorities for lawful prosecution.
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