Crime wave hits Mukono
Jun 11, 2010
Residents of Kikooza in Mukono Town Council on June 1 woke up to the shocking news of the gruesome murder of their village-mate.
By John Semakula
Residents of Kikooza in Mukono Town Council on June 1 woke up to the shocking news of the gruesome murder of their village-mate.
Allen Najjuma Nalongo was allegedly raped and strangled by thugs who waylaid her at dawn.
Najjuma, a casual worker in the village, had woken up at about 5:00am to go to work when she met her death.
Oliver Namutebi, her neighbour, told the Police that she heard somebody making an alarm, but feared to open her door.
When she finally got out of her house, she dashed in the direction where the alarm came from only to discover the body of her neighbour lying in a pool of blood.
The Police was tipped off about the incident and they went to the scene.
Residents said since the year began, six people had been killed in a similar way and 10 others had escaped death, but with severe injuries.
The residents said most of the time those who sustained injuries reported to the Police and investigations were carried out, although they usually yielded nothing.
A week before Najjuma was killed, two bodaboda cyclists who were operating in Seeta trading centre, were attacked at night by assailants wielding iron bars. one of them was killed, while the other escaped with serious injuries.
The Police identified the surviving cyclist as Moses Lubuulwa and the deceased as Reagan Nuwagaba.
The wave of insecurity has left residents of several parts of Mukono, especially the peri-urban areas, living in fear.
The affected villages in the town council are Butebe, Kikooza, Colline Street, Nabuti, Kigombya and lower Kauga and Nasuti.
Last month, Justine Babirye, a vendor in Owino market and a resident of Butebe, was waylaid by a group of thugs.
She was heading to work at about 5:00am when two muscular men attacked her a few metres from her home. She attempted to run, but was caught.
One of them hit her on the head with a wooden stick and threw her to the ground.
Her attackers pulled her to the roadside into a trench, where they searched her thoroughly. They landed on her sh80,000 which they took off with.
About two months before that incident, an elderly man in Katovu village in Kasawo sub-county, who was riding his bicycle back home at about 9:00pm, when he was waylaid by thugs who beat him to death with an iron bar.
The Police carried out investigations into Steven Amunyo’s death but they are yet to come out with the findings.
Last weekend thugs raided Butebe village and stole half of the electricity meters, leaving the affected area in a total blackout.
The wave of insecurity has puzzled both those in security circles and the residents.
Over the weekend, two security meetings were held in Mukono town to lay strategies on how to fight crime. The district Police commander, Alphonse Musoni, presided over the meetings in Butebe and Nasuti.
Prior to the meetings, Hajji Isa Sebunya, who is in charge of security in Mukono town, told Saturday Vision that he blamed politicians for covering up for thieves because they want cheap popularity in order to be re-elected.
He claimed politicians do not want to report criminals to the authorities because they fear to lose votes. “When suspects are arrested, these politicians go to Police and help them out,†Sebunya said. His view was backed by the residents during the two security meetings.
The commander of the Police patrol in Mukono town, Garvas Igune, blamed the wave of motorcycle thefts on bodaboda cyclists who work deep into the night.
Igune noted that cyclists who work beyond midnight connive with thugs to rob residents, while at the same time, the thugs turn against them and kill them.
Musoni said the Police had embarked on community policing aimed at sensitising the residents on how to protect themselves.
The Resident District Commissioner, Maj. David Matovu, blamed the insecurity on the increasing number of criminals who run away from Kampala, when security is tightened.
He revealed that as a measure to curb insecurity, they had recommended that LCs register residents of their villages and night patrols involving residents be increased.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Henry Kalulu described the wave of crime in Mukono and other suburbs of Kampala as isolated incidents.
He said the crime rate in the region had generally gone down since last month. “We fought and eliminated the theft in taxis and other crimes and Kampala Metropolitan region is generally calm,†he said.
Residents of Kikooza in Mukono Town Council on June 1 woke up to the shocking news of the gruesome murder of their village-mate.
Allen Najjuma Nalongo was allegedly raped and strangled by thugs who waylaid her at dawn.
Najjuma, a casual worker in the village, had woken up at about 5:00am to go to work when she met her death.
Oliver Namutebi, her neighbour, told the Police that she heard somebody making an alarm, but feared to open her door.
When she finally got out of her house, she dashed in the direction where the alarm came from only to discover the body of her neighbour lying in a pool of blood.
The Police was tipped off about the incident and they went to the scene.
Residents said since the year began, six people had been killed in a similar way and 10 others had escaped death, but with severe injuries.
The residents said most of the time those who sustained injuries reported to the Police and investigations were carried out, although they usually yielded nothing.
A week before Najjuma was killed, two bodaboda cyclists who were operating in Seeta trading centre, were attacked at night by assailants wielding iron bars. one of them was killed, while the other escaped with serious injuries.
The Police identified the surviving cyclist as Moses Lubuulwa and the deceased as Reagan Nuwagaba.
The wave of insecurity has left residents of several parts of Mukono, especially the peri-urban areas, living in fear.
The affected villages in the town council are Butebe, Kikooza, Colline Street, Nabuti, Kigombya and lower Kauga and Nasuti.
Last month, Justine Babirye, a vendor in Owino market and a resident of Butebe, was waylaid by a group of thugs.
She was heading to work at about 5:00am when two muscular men attacked her a few metres from her home. She attempted to run, but was caught.
One of them hit her on the head with a wooden stick and threw her to the ground.
Her attackers pulled her to the roadside into a trench, where they searched her thoroughly. They landed on her sh80,000 which they took off with.
About two months before that incident, an elderly man in Katovu village in Kasawo sub-county, who was riding his bicycle back home at about 9:00pm, when he was waylaid by thugs who beat him to death with an iron bar.
The Police carried out investigations into Steven Amunyo’s death but they are yet to come out with the findings.
Last weekend thugs raided Butebe village and stole half of the electricity meters, leaving the affected area in a total blackout.
The wave of insecurity has puzzled both those in security circles and the residents.
Over the weekend, two security meetings were held in Mukono town to lay strategies on how to fight crime. The district Police commander, Alphonse Musoni, presided over the meetings in Butebe and Nasuti.
Prior to the meetings, Hajji Isa Sebunya, who is in charge of security in Mukono town, told Saturday Vision that he blamed politicians for covering up for thieves because they want cheap popularity in order to be re-elected.
He claimed politicians do not want to report criminals to the authorities because they fear to lose votes. “When suspects are arrested, these politicians go to Police and help them out,†Sebunya said. His view was backed by the residents during the two security meetings.
The commander of the Police patrol in Mukono town, Garvas Igune, blamed the wave of motorcycle thefts on bodaboda cyclists who work deep into the night.
Igune noted that cyclists who work beyond midnight connive with thugs to rob residents, while at the same time, the thugs turn against them and kill them.
Musoni said the Police had embarked on community policing aimed at sensitising the residents on how to protect themselves.
The Resident District Commissioner, Maj. David Matovu, blamed the insecurity on the increasing number of criminals who run away from Kampala, when security is tightened.
He revealed that as a measure to curb insecurity, they had recommended that LCs register residents of their villages and night patrols involving residents be increased.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Henry Kalulu described the wave of crime in Mukono and other suburbs of Kampala as isolated incidents.
He said the crime rate in the region had generally gone down since last month. “We fought and eliminated the theft in taxis and other crimes and Kampala Metropolitan region is generally calm,†he said.