Over 40 arrested in Police crackdown on Busia gangs

Police in Busia have arrested over 40 suspects in connection with a series of violent crimes that have plagued the district over the past three weeks.

Bukedi South Region Police spokesperson, Moses Mugwe, confirmed that the suspects include ex-convicts who were recently released from Masafu and Morokatipe government prisons after completing their sentences.

“We have identified that those responsible for these crimes are former convicts and gang leaders who were recently released from prison,” Mr. Mugwe said on August 27, adding that the arrests were made following targeted operations at known hideouts.

According to Mr. Mugwe, some of the suspects are currently being held at Busia Police Station, while others have been arraigned in court, charged, and remanded.

The arrests come in response to a surge in machete-wielding attacks, where women have been raped, and residents have been hacked and robbed of their mobile phones, money, and motorcycles.

Fred Wejuli, who sustained a deep head wound in an attack, recounted being waylaid by two criminals as he returned to his home in Solo ‘C’, Western Division, Busia Municipality. He was robbed of Shs40,000 and a wristwatch.

Julius Mayende, a boda boda rider from Buyanga, was also reportedly attacked by two men, hacked, and robbed of his motorcycle while riding from Busibembe Village to Buwembe Village.

“One of the attackers was staggering by the roadside, and I assumed he was drunk. But as I passed, he pulled out a machete and hacked me. As I collapsed, two more criminals descended on me and hacked me several times on the head. I survived by pretending to be dead,” Mayende said.

Moses Juma, a resident of Sofia Village in Busia Municipality, was also attacked by machete-wielding thugs at the Busia-Kenya bus terminal while transporting goods to Kenya.

“They used a broken bottle to cut my face and ears, accusing me of being a police informant,” said Juma, who still bears scars from the attack. He was rescued by a colleague who reported the incident to the nearby Kenyan police.

Faisal Serwadda, a moneylender from Mugungu Village, Eastern Division, recounted being attacked on two different occasions and robbed of mobile phones and Shs2 million.

Sofia LC1 Vice Chairperson, Frank Ojambo, described a recent incident where a gang of youths, aged between 15 and 20 years, armed with machetes, broken bottles, and stones, launched a daring night attack on policemen at the “Mango Tree Checkpoint” in his village, forcing the officers to fire shots into the air.

According to Ojambo, the group, numbering about 80, crossed over from Kenya and began pelting police with stones and broken bottles.

Naomi Gandi, a member of the Sofia Village LC, expressed fear among residents, stating that the gang had threatened to target their homes and families.

In another incident, a gang from Marachi Village attacked police officers, pelting them with stones, forcing the officers, led by Mugungu Police O.C. Michael Okukol, to retreat. However, they later regrouped and returned in greater numbers.

Vice Chairman of Solo Village, Friday Were, noted that several criminal gangs have emerged in Busia town, operating in various areas.

“We have gangs in Arubaine, Mawero East ‘B’, Sofia, Mugungu, and Marachi, making it difficult for residents to move at night,” he said.

Western Division Chairperson, Iddi Kibaki, added that the gangs have grown in number and become increasingly bold, with some members carrying machetes in broad daylight, causing fear and panic among residents, who have had to close their businesses early out of fear.

Outgoing Busia Resident District Commissioner, Michael Kibwika, emphasized that most of the offenders are career criminals who should be given long jail terms upon conviction.