Machete killings, accidents leave scar in central region

The central region last year experienced a series of killings by machete-wielding thugs, road accidents,  and devastating fires.

The upsurge of crime in Masaka City suburbs, Lwengo, Bukomansimbi, Kyotera, Luweero, Mityana, and Wakiso districts left many residents in fear despite police assurance that they had the situation under control.

The machete-wielding gangs, who first gained notoriety in 2017, struck again in Masaka sub-region, raiding villages and hacking to death residents, before spreading to other regions.

On July 5, they attacked the home of a Chinese national, Dr Deng Deng in Bunamwaya, a Kampala City suburb, and made off with more than Shs200m. 

Between July and August, the thugs had killed a total of 26 in Masaka area alone, according to police official records.

The first incident was recorded on July 21 at 8pm when two army reservists John Kabanda, a resident of Bigando Village Kkingo Sub-county, and Vincent Kalya, a resident of Nzizi Village, Kingo Sub-county, Lwengo District, were killed. 

Seven days later, the thugs crossed to Kitanga Village, Kabonera Sub-county, Masaka District, and killed James Ddamulira, 47. 

On the same night, the assailants attacked Joseph Kabugo, who survived with serious injuries.

A week later, the assailants descended on Kyetume Village, Kibinge Sub-county in the neigbouring Bukomansimbi District and hacked Hassan Mugera, a 32-year-old businessman, leaving him with deep cuts on the head. 

From June to August, unknown people kept dropping letters in the area demanding money and threatening some individuals.

On August 5, at Misanvu Trading Centre, at boda boda stage next to the police post, in Kibinge Sub-county, they dropped a letter which threatened police and demanded guns from them, purportedly to start an armed rebellion. 

In the said letters, 14 young people earmarked for recruitment into rebellion were named. Security only interrogated the group  and did not arrest anyone.

On August 4, assailants attacked Mr Francis Bwanika, a resident of Kyabi Village, Kawanda Sub-county, Sembabule District, leaving deep cuts on his head. 

In some attacks, victims were waylaid while returning home and others cornered in the safety of their homes before being hacked. Many of the victims were elderly.

On August 26, a similar gang raided St Joseph Catholic Parish in Busunju Town, Mityana District, beating up priests and nuns before stealing Shs23m, and an assortment of household items.

More than 50 suspects, including two Opposition legislators Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) and Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) were arrested and later charged with murder, attempted murder and terrorism by the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Southern regional police spokesperson Muhammad Nsubuga says the area has since been pacified following the arrest of key masterminds of the attacks.

Accidents

The region also recorded several accidents, with one of them killing 15 people in Masaka City on May 6.

The grisly incident, which involved a commuter taxi and a trailer occurred at Kassijjagirwa Village near Gaz Petrol Station on the outskirts of Masaka City. All the victims were residents of Sembabule District. 

The following day, another accident involving a commuter taxi and a motorcycle left two dead at Mbiizinya Village on Masaka-Kampala highway.

Earlier on February 11, a military helicopter crashed near Entebbe International Airport, killing Capt Carol Busingye. A day later, an accident at Kigalama Village on Mityana-Mubende highway in Kassanda District claimed three people and injured14 others.  The accident occurred after a speeding taxi bound for Mubende from Kampala rammed into a stationary Mercedes Benz. 

On March 17, a traffic police officer attached to Kamengo Police Station in Mpigi District, Alex Khakosi, 31, died on spot after a driver of a commuter taxi knocked him and his colleague at Kampiringisa Police checkpoint.

The driver,  who reportedly lost control of the vehicle, was arrested for speeding and killing a police officer.

 On September 16, a speeding car knocked Sabiiti Magembe, 35, an NTV correspondent in Mubende District at Namagogo Way Bridge in Mubende Town.  

Magembe died upon arrival at True Vein Private Hospital in Mubende Town.

Selected killing incidents

The central region also registered killings as a result of robbery, mob justice and misunderstandings.

In Nakasongola  District, gunmen, suspected to be robbers, shot dead two residents and left two others injured at Kimaga Trading Centre in Nabiswera Sub-county on January 28. 

On February, 17, a mob at Nakatooke Village in Kasasa Sub-county, Kyotera District, lynched two people on suspicion of killing their relative, George Lobero. 

On April 10, five children under the age of seven from the same family at Kirangira Village, Kasankala Sub-county in Rakai District died after taking Paraquat herbicide, allegedly given to them by their grandmother.  

On April 26, a police constable, Hussein Sserugo, who killed two of his colleagues handed himself over to Kiboga District Central Police Station. 

Sserugo shot dead Sgt Patrick Okola, 56, and Fred Wasswa, 33, a crime preventer, on April 23 after developing disagreements with the duo.  On April 29, Robert Kagolo, a journalist at Star FM, was shot dead after a scuffle with an LDU personnel at his late brother’s home at Kasengejje Village, Wakiso District.

On May 19, shock gripped residents of Kyangato Village in Nakaseke District when Oliver Kansiime hacked to death Violet Nakabuye on suspicion of having a love affair with her husband. A mob later intercepted Kansiime and lynched her. 

On June 16, residents of Kayunga District woke up to the news of the death of former district chairperson Muhammad Ffeffekka Sserubogo .

The deceased’s body was found hanging on a tree at his home in Kyebanja Village, Kayunga Sub-county.

Although a postmortem report indicated that Sserubogo, hanged himself, residents and members of National Unity Platform, a party he subscribed to, said he was killed before his body was hang on a tree. 

In the same month, Masaka City lost four prominent businessmen to Covid-19.  These included Hajj Yusuf Kuberu, the proprietor of KY Primary School, and his brother Hajj Sulaiman Mubiru, Ronald Ssentongo, and George William Shakespeare Kalumba, who was the Masaka regional agent for Uganda Breweries Ltd and proprietor of Williams Theatre.

On August 3, three children in Buligobe Village in Nama Sub-county, Mukono District, ate bananas laced with poison that was allegedly meant to kill the monkeys. 

One of the children, Ryan Bwiire, died instantly. The trio had allegedly sneaked into one of the resident’s gardens.

On September 5, five people died following the collapse of a storied building under construction in Kisenyi, a city suburb in Mengo. 

On September 21, six family members died of suffocation inside an air-tight makeshift tent on a pineapple farm at Kaleire Village, Kalongo Sub-county, Luweero District. 

On September 27, unknown assailants hacked to death a prominent businessman, Fred Kayiza, 54, as he entered his home in Ntinda Zone, Goma Division, Mukono District.

On October 29, a device exploded, killing three children at Ssegalye Village in Semutto Sub-county.

A similar incident occurred on November 11 when a scrap dealer, Alfred Mandela, at Kapeeka Town in Nakaseke District succumbed to injuries after a device believed to be part of unexploded military ordinance exploded. The explosive also injured four others. 

On November 30, a prison warder, Fred Wolukawu, 34, attached to Mpigi Prison shot dead his wife, Eunice Abineitwe, 27, before killing himself. It is alleged that the couple had had domestic wrangles.

On December 7, two police officers were killed by suspected thugs in Mityana District.

The following day, four inmates from Kakondo Prisons in Lyantonde District died and about eight others were injured following a road accident at Kiterede Village, Malango Sub-county in Lwengo District.The victims were travelling in a Toyota Saloon. 

The driver and a prison warder blamed the accident on one of the inmates, who reportedly grabbed the steering wheel, causing the accident.

SOME FIRE INCIDENTS IN 2021

February 3: A one Musirwa, 25, died in a fire that gutted a building adjacent to Buddu Guest House on Hobart Street in Masaka City. The fire also destroyed household items.  On the same day, a 76-year -old man, Langtone Kasumba, was killed after his house at Katanjovu Village, Kapeke Sub-county in Kiboga District caught fire.

February 16: A suspected arson set ablaze a house at Kiziba Village, Nakaseke Sub-county in Nakaseke District, killing four family members.

March 13: More than eight houses and property worth millions of shillings perished in a fire that gutted part of Mwena Landing Site in Kalangala Town Council.

March 16: Fire gutted Kiziru Landing Site in Mpunge Sub-county Mukono District, destroying more than 100 temporary structures, places of worship and killing livestock. 

March 20: A 33-year-old mother and her five-year-old son died after fire broke out in their rented apartment on Elgin Street, Bata Cell in Masaka City. 

April 19: Students of Heroes Vocational Secondary School in Ddwaniro Sub-county in Rakai District lost their property after a girls’ dormitory caught fire. 

April 27: Fire burnt Grace House, one of the girls’ dormitory at King’s College, Budo in Wakiso District. The fire is said to have started while students were in morning prep. 

On the same day, fire also gutted a girls’ dormitory at King Fahad Primary School, Busega, Kampala, destroying property worth millions of shillings.

April 30: Five family members died from a suspected arson attack in Luweero District. 

November 9: A bus belonging to Gateway Bus Company burst into flames at Kampiringisa police checkpoint, Kammengo Sub-county on the Kampala-Masaka Highway.

November 21: Fire gutted a house at Kyamugongo Village, Kayonza Sub-county, Kayunga District, leaving two children- Gist Nabatanzi, 2, and Patricia Nakaweesi, 3, dead.

On the same day, a fire gutted a pump filling station at Kacheera Trading Centre in Rakai District, destroying property in three neigbouring buildings.