The Police have registered a success after arresting five suspected panga-welding thugs who are among the big gang that has recently put Mukono on tension.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson has identified the suspects as Ronald Matuwa, a resident of Nsambya in Kampala, Michael Ssekiggo, Munguchi, Piriyo and Romans Wanane.
Owoyesigyire says that their arrest resulted from an attack on an Indian national, Christopher Nazia in his pharmacy in Mukono Taxi Park, cutting him on the neck and hand as they demanded for money from him.
“On August 14, at around 8:30pm, unknown suspects stormed the pharmacy of an Indian national as he was closing to go back home. The perpetrators were armed with pangas and stabbed the victim, fortunately, he was slightly injured around the neck as he loudly made an alarm causing the neighbours and police to respond,” he said.
It is alleged that one suspect was arrested and he led police to the rest of the colleagues they have been terrorizing the residents of Mukono with.
They are charged with aggravated robbery on police reference number Mukono CRB 1133/2024 at Mukono Police Station.
Owoyesigyire added that Police working in company with the Flying Squad are also combing Mukono in the search for other suspects that are part of the panga welding gang.
The pang welding gang is reported to operate on bodabodas cutting people randomly in different cells of Mukono Municipality, mostly concentrating in Upper Kauga Cell, Lower Kauga, Ntaawo, Buddugala, Total Village, Kitete, among others.
At least two people have been recently reported to have been cut to death and more than ten nursing wounds in different hospitals.
The deceased include a private security guard Patrick Okware who was guarding at the commercial rental apartments belonging to the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kazimba Mugalu located at Upper Kauga cell in Mukono Central Division. Okware belonged to Marvel Security Limited and is believed to have been killed by his fellow security guard only identified as Wilber who is currently at large, having disappeared with the deceased’s gun.
Owoyesigyire told Kyaggwe TV that efforts to have Wilber arrested or recover the gun have not yet yielded fruits.
The second deceased is Ronald Nsubuga, also a resident of Upper Kauga village. Nsubuga is said to have been cut to death and his body was dumped by the roadside.
The latest victim of the bijambiya attackers is the Mukono Municipality Principal Health Officer, Dr. Anthony Kkonde who was cut by yet unknown assailants as he had just packed his car at Jobiah Hotel also at Upper Kauga village as he was walking on foot going back home.
Dr. Kkonde is currently admitted at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala but still in ICU and in critical condition. It is alleged that the hospital restricted Dr. Kkonde’s family members from seeing him as he is under close monitoring of the specialized health personnel. His family members were promised to have a chance of looking at him after three days from the day of his operation.
On the very day Dr. Kkonde was cut at the same cell of Upper Kauga, it is alleged that the panga-welding thugs also cut Joan Namombwe. Namombwe is currently admitted at Mulago hospital where he was referred by the medics at Mukono General Hospital where she was first rushed for first aid.