Mobs kill 21 people in Bukedi in nine months

Bukedi Sub-region in eastern Uganda has registered a rise in cases of mob action.

Leaders and the police said they are grappling with increasing crime rates, fear and anxiety over the widespread disillusionment of locals with law enforcement who have now resorted to mob action.

Statistics from police indicate that 19 cases of mob action were recorded in 2023, with seven cases registered in Kibuku District, followed by Budaka District with six cases, Pallisa with five cases and Butebo with one case. 

Between January and October 2024, the sub-region recorded 21 cases of mob action. Budaka District led with 11 cases, followed by Pallisa [5], Kibuku [3] and Butebo [2].

Bukedi North, comprises districts of Budaka, Kibuku, Pallisa and Butebo.

The region also registered 25 cases of Murder, with Pallisa taking the lead with 12 cases, followed by Budaka [9], Butebo [3] and Kibuku [1].

North Bukedi Regional Police Spokesperson SP Samuel Semewo attributed the increase in cases to ignorance about the justice system and procedures.

“The local communities think that taking the law into their hands is the best solution, which is out-rightly wrong. They don’t understand how the justice system works,”SP Semewo said.

He added:“The continued lack of trust in the formal criminal system to administer fair and timely justice, has instead forced locals to turn to mob justice as an alternative means of administering justice.”

SP Semewo also blamed the Judiciary for failing to help in the fight against these crimes, citing instances where suspects are granted bail on claims of lack of evidence.

“This leaves the community completely frustrated despite adducing evidence but only to be let down on grounds that the evidence is insufficient to back up the case,” he said

SP Semewo explained that mob actions are often motivated by widespread suspicion or misunderstanding of the justice system, especially concerning the procedure of police bail, under which suspected culprits can be temporarily released before the court process.

“Most of the cases are related to theft of livestock and birds,”SP Semewo said.

He added: “The increasing trends of mob action and killing people accused of thefts seems to be on the rise, this must be checked. This is why Police have come out to strongly condemn such act. We are seeing acts of gross violation of basic human rights. This will not be entertained but arrest and charge the culprits.”

Some of the locals killed by mob action include Yusuf Musika, a resident of Nakabale village in Budaka.

He was lynched because of stealing cattle.

Rajab Mudugundi, also from Budaka, was killed by mob action.

Another incident happened in Iki-Iki Sub-county in Budaka where a mob killed one person in connection with theft of a motorcycle.

In Kibuku District, Mubakali Mulabi, 24, was also killed by a mob for allegedly stealing cattle. Mulabi was a resident of Soweto Village in Kibuku Sub-county.

Geoffrey Mwanani, a resident of Kakule Sub-county in Budaka,was also killed by a mob.

“As the Police, we are deeply concerned about the ongoing incidents of mob justice. We urge the public to uphold the principle of presumption of innocence for suspects and to allow Police the opportunity to conduct proper interrogations” SP Semewo said.

He further explained that on average at least one or two cases are registered per month. In Budaka, according to SP Semewo, mob justice is most common in Budaka Town Council, Nampangala, Macholi, Iki-Iki and Kaderuna while in Pallisa it’s common in Boliso 1 and Butebo is common in Kapunyasi.

He also said murder as a result of domestic violence and economic issues are also becoming a point of bother in the sub-region.

SP Semewo has now challenged the local leaders, culture and religion to join in the struggle to scale down issues of mob justice and domestic violence.

Meanwhile, locals said they have lost confidence in the Police and courts due to rising cases of corruption in the Justice, Law and Order sector. 

“The lack of trust in the Police is associated with a willingness to engage in mob action, while perceived corruption undermines trust and thus indirectly contributes to a willingness to join others in mob action,”Mr Moses Nampandu, a resident from Budaka, said.

Mr Nampandu added: “Locals were merely concerned with the wide spread of livestock, birds and vandalised properties. But as the crimes escalated-burglars raiding homes and violent altercations becoming more frequent-an air of desperation settled over the region.”

The situation escalated sharply over the past years. This comes after a series of rampant theft of birds and Livestock, leading to frustration and anger among residents.

The Budaka County MP, Mr Arthur Wako Mboizi, said: “We cannot blame the Police over these upsurge on mob justice but instead turn the blame on the policy makers and legislators for failing to put up harsh sentences against these petty offenders.These people are stealing with impunity because of the weak laws that are in place. We need to re-adjust and come up with harsh sentences for these petty offenders for at least 10 years in jail.”

He also said Police have gone an extra mile to carry out community policing but they need to minimise crime.

“People have turned to stealing as a job in Budaka,” the MP noted.

Mob action is a form of extrajudicial punishment or retribution in which a person suspected of wrongdoing is typically humiliated, beaten, and in many cases killed by vigilantes of a crowd. Mob action takes place in the absence of any form of fair trial in which the accused are given a chance to defend themselves, but the mob simply takes the law into its own hands.

According to the 2015 Afro Barometer Survey in Uganda, one in six Ugandan adults said they took part in mob action during the preceding year or would do so if they “had the chance”.