The Police have condemned the increasing mob justice practices that are currently resulting in the beating to death and sometimes burning of suspected criminals.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson says that mob justice is illegal and that the culprits are punishable under the law.
Onyango made the condemnation while referring to the mob justice that happened at Namulaba village in Kyampisi sub-county, Mukono district when the angry residents arrested two men who were moving on a motorcycle with suspected stolen electricity wires and beat them to death.
He says that Police in Nagalama are investigating a case of suspected murder by mob that happened at Namulaba village in Kyampisi sub-county in Mukono District.
“The incident happened in the wee hours of Monday morning at 3:00am. The deceased are unidentified two male black African men. It’s alleged that on 26th Day of Feb 2024 during the night, the two people were spotted on a motorcycle registration number UFJ 315K Bajaj boxer while carrying black insulated electric wires which the residents suspected to have been stolen,” he noted.
Onyango added that the community organized and waylaid the suspects on the way and managed to stop them but the two people tempted to run away and it was at this point that the community ganged, beat and hacked them to death.
He says that the Police was notified in the morning and responded by sending Police officers who visited the scene and recorded statements from relevant witnesses.
“Police got when the mob had burned the motorcycle and they just got a scrap of the Motorcycle and rolls of electric wires recovered. The bodies were conveyed to Mulago City Mortuary for postmortem examination,” he said.
He added that: “One of the deceased was burnt with the motorcycle beyond recognition. The deceased were observed with multiple cut injuries mostly on the head, legs and arms.”