Police in Mukono have arrested four suspects linked to a criminal gang that has been terrorising locals with pangas popularly known as bijambiya. The suspects were arrested in a two-day operation that was conducted by the Flying Squad.  

Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire urged the members of the public who had lost their items to report to Police. 

“Following several complaints of robberies, burglaries, and thefts targeting electronic devices in Mukono Municipality and places along Kayunga road, the territorial Police at Mukono have embarked on operations to hunt down the perpetrators,” Owoyesigyire said. 

Owoyesigyire explained that in the last few days, the team had managed to arrest four suspects whose leader has been identified as Allan Kitanda alias Lubuka. 

“Lubuka was arrested with his three accomplices who were found with sharp objects like Pangas commonly known as Bijambiya and the gang members were subsequently arraigned in courts of law on allegations of aggravated robbery, burglary and theft. The group was terrorizing residents around Mukono Municipality,” Owoyesigyire said. 

He said the operations continued and on June 17, 2022, the team intercepted people carrying suspected stolen items.  

“A search was conducted at the home of one of the suspects identified as Reagan Nauga and John Kalyango, a notorious thug who had physical wounds from gunshots believed to have been sustained during a foiled robbery in Mukono and has since been on the run. Several Electronics including TV sets, sharp Pangas, knives, refrigerators, gas cookers, radio hoofers, mobile phones, machines used for altering phone serial numbers and a printer used in making counterfeit money were recovered,” Owoyesigyire further said. 

He noted that the same group is believed to be connected to other suspects who have been terrorising residents in Nagalama and Mukono. They are currently detained at Flying Squad headquarters in Kampala as investigations continue. 

“We urge members of the public to always be on alert and inform their area Police of suspicious characters in their communities. The Police through Community Policing will continue to strengthen its ties with the members of the public to help fight crime. We shall also trace for the owners of the suspected stolen items recovered, however we also urge those that lost their property through the crimes mentioned above to report to Mukono Police Station to help identify some of their Properties just in case they are among those recovered,” Owoyesigyire stated.