Three hacked as crime gang raids homes

Monday night was like no other for the residents of Kanyanya and Kyebando when a gang of thugs besieged the area.

By Sarah Zawedde

Monday night was like no other for the residents of Kanyanya and Kyebando located in Kawempe Municipality when a gang of thugs besieged the area, hacked three victims, injured several others and robbed property.

The injured were Swaliki Kawuki of Wampamba zone who had gone out of his house to ease himself at about 2:30am; Twaha Senjakko of Kyebando Central zone who was hacked on the head and arms as he responded to his son's call for help.

Another resident, Michael Matovu, of Kyebando stumbled into the chaos at 10.30 on his way from work and was hacked on the arm.

Victims of the night raid are nursing wounds

The seemingly coordinated raid took place in the zones of Lutunda, Wampamba and Kyebando Central when a gang believed to number over 15 went on rampage breaking into people's houses, randomly stealing and waylaying those retiring for the night while luring out unsuspecting would- be rescuers by raising alarms calling for help.

The thugs, who are reported to have spent much of the night terrorising residents, were armed with knives, pangas and iron bars which they used to subdue anyone who tried to put up resistance.

The thugs broke into a UPDF soldier, Capt. David Mulamuzi's shop that is run by his wife Fatumah Alijah and robbed it clean. Other residents reported to have made alarms when they heard the thugs fidgeting with their door locks.

On Tuesday morning police from together with residents mounted a search for suspects and arrested four youths including siblings; Emmanuel Jagwe, Mande Ssemusu and Sam Kirembwe, sons to Livingstone Zizinga of Lutunda zone.

The fourth suspect was Godfrey Mugabi, who is believed to have been part of the gang that hacked Senjakko.

A bodaboda on which the thugs were moving is believed to be a stolen one

How the thugs operated

The LCI defence secretary Wampamba zone, Samuel Settabba said the thugs were mostly youths aged between 18 and 25. He said they hide in dark spots from where they pounce on unsuspecting residents.

He said after clobbering their victims they raise alarms that lure unsuspecting resindets out of their houses to help. They then attack anyone who opens their houses.

Settabba however noted that it appears the thugs have a mole who updates them on the security operations in the area because they have been carrying out night patrols for a long time and this one time when they did not, the thugs struck.

A landlord in the area said when his tenant called him at 10.00pm informing him that his house had been broken into, they mounted a search and caught one the suspects, Ssemusu moving in a bush with a television set.

When the Police searched his house they found a panga, hammer and a knife which are believed to have been used in the raid. They also discovered stolen property including electronics which the tenant said were stolen from his place.

Another suspect, Mugabi is reported to have been moving on a bodaboda with two others, attacking unsuspecting residents with pangas.

The Kanyanya police boss, Tashobya the suspects will remain in custody as investigations continue.