Police arrest suspect in brutal Wakiso aggravated robbery

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Police in Wakiso District have arrested a suspect in connection with a violent aggravated robbery that targeted a bodaboda rider in Sumbwe village.

According to preliminary investigations, the incident occurred on the night of February 13, 2026, at about 10:00pm. Equiam Ssesanga was riding home towards Sumbwe when he picked up two men in the Busega area who posed as passengers seeking transport to the same destination.

Police say upon reaching Sumbwe, the suspects turned on the rider and pulled out a panga, launching a violent attack. During the assault, they cut Ssesanga’s riding helmet before robbing him of his red Bajaj Boxer motorcycle, registration number UMA 191DV, and his mobile phone, according to SP Racheal Kawala, spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police.

She noted that following weeks of investigations, police tracked a lead to Kikunyu Village in Kamengo, Mpigi district, where officers conducted an intelligence-led operation on March 9, 2026, leading to the arrest of one suspect.

Authorities also recovered several exhibits during the operation, including a mobile phone believed to belong to the victim, one numberless motorcycle, and two other motorcycles with registration numbers UEB 559Q and UEC 678N.

The suspect is currently in police custody as investigations continue and efforts intensify to track down the remaining accomplices.

Police have reiterated their commitment to dismantling criminal networks targeting boda-boda riders and other road users.

“We are following strong leads to ensure that all individuals involved in this violent act are brought to justice. We urge the public, especially boda-boda riders, to remain vigilant when transporting unknown passengers at night,” she said.

Concern over rising violent robberies

Aggravated robberies remain a growing concern across the Kampala Metropolitan Area.

In a separate case last year, police arrested Hilary Byaruhanga, 28, a private security guard attached to Dawn World Security, in connection with the fatal shooting of city businessman Anthony Mutinisa, 53.

Mutinisa, the director of Mutinisa Motors and Driving School, was a resident of Bulindo in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District.

The arrest followed a police manhunt after the suspect allegedly shot the businessman during a robbery in Ntinda, under Kira Road Police Division, on August 24, 2025.

According to police, Byaruhanga fatally shot the businessman before fleeing the scene with the victim’s Toyota Harrier, registration number UA 769BQ, a bag containing an unspecified amount of money, and several mobile phones.

Police later recovered the alleged murder weapon—an SAR rifle with four rounds of ammunition—which had been abandoned near the crime scene and is now being held as evidence.

Hardware accountant robbery

In another incident, police in August 2025 arrested eight suspects in connection with a sh242 million aggravated robbery targeting a city hardware accountant.

According to Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy spokesperson Kampala Metropolitan Police, the robbery occurred on August 22, 2025, at Kakeka Zone in Rubaga Division.

“On that day, a group of thugs armed with pangas and riding on five motorcycles violently intercepted a city hardware accountant and robbed him of sh242 million that he was taking to the bank,” he said.

Fortunately, neither the victim nor the boda-boda rider transporting him was injured during the attack.

Police said the arrests followed intelligence-led operations in which detectives analyzed CCTV footage and pursued other investigative leads that resulted in the capture of the suspects.

According to the Police Annual Crime Report 2024, aggravated robbery in Uganda increased by 5%, with cases rising to 8,163 in 2024 from 7,772 in 2023. Despite an overall 4.1% decline in general crime, robberies and violent crimes such as homicides continued to rise.

The Kampala Metropolitan North region recorded the highest number of aggravated robberies involving cash.