Journalist targeted by highway bodaboda theft syndicate
Police have launched investigations into the incident, while journalists’ leaders are calling for tighter regulation of bodaboda operations and swift action to recover Mirembe’s stolen work equipment.
Irene Mirembe, a BBS Television journalist who was attacked and robbed of her work equipment while returning from a field assignment in Butambala on August 9, 2026. (Courtesy)
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A Journalist attached to BBS Television was attacked and robbed of her gadgets in what appeared to be a targeted bodaboda highway theft along the Butambala-Mpigi highway.
Irene Mirembe, a journalist operating in the greater Mpigi area, fell into a robbers' trap while returning from her field duties in Butambala.
According to Mirembe, she was robbed on August 9 after she boarded a bodaboda motorcycle to return from Butambala to Mpigi. "Along the way, we met a stranger. The rider stopped to negotiate with another man who was standing by the road, and he asked me to place my bag, which had my gadgets, on the front fuel tank, but before I could get back on the bike, he sped off and vanished with all my work gadgets," Mirembe recounted.
Mirembe said she lost items including a laptop, a Canon camera 5D Mark III, a Samsung smartphone, work identification and lapel sound speakers.
"I lost everything I use to do my job; this left me completely paralysed professionally, and I don't know how I am going to survive," Mirembe said.
Greater Mpigi Journalists' Association, led by Patrick Sserugo, called for stricter regulation of bodaboda operations in the area, including registration and proper identification of all riders to avoid such cases in future.
Sserugo appealed to security agencies to fast-track the investigations, arrest the culprits and help recover their colleague's professional equipment.
Lydia Tumushabe, the Katonga regional police publicist, said police have launched investigations into the incident and appealed to journalists' leaders to be calm as security agencies handle the matter.
She cautioned female journalists and other people to avoid isolated bodaboda stages and highway motorcycles as these are usually used by people with bad intentions.