Police in Soroti City have recovered a taxi that was allegedly stolen by armed robbers along the Mbale-Tirinyi road during a nighttime robbery. The taxi, registration number UBK 775H, was reportedly hijacked between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on June 8 while travelling from Mbale City to Kampala.
According to police, the robbery occurred near Kamonkoli Town when a passenger seated in the co-driver’s seat allegedly pulled out a firearm and ordered fellow passengers to lie face down before surrendering their phones, money, and other valuables. The suspect, who was reportedly dressed in black clothing and wore a shirt bearing the Ugandan flag, was aided by two other men who searched and assaulted passengers during the robbery.
The assailants then forced the driver to divert towards Sekulo Parish along the Pallisa road, where he was ordered out of the vehicle and made to lie on the ground with the other passengers. The four suspects subsequently fled with the taxi and the victims’ belongings. The incident was reported to Kamonkoli Police by Fred Mutete, and a case of aggravated robbery was registered.
A joint operation involving Bukedi North Regional Police and East Kyoga Regional Police was launched to trace the vehicle and suspects. Hours later, the stolen taxi was recovered abandoned in Soroti City. East Kyoga Regional Police Commander Ibrahim Saiga said the recovery was made possible through coordinated efforts by the Police Command Centre, Budaka Police, Soroti Central Police Station, and members of the public.
“The police in East Kyoga wish to inform the public that motor vehicle registration number UBK 775H, which was earlier robbed along the Mbale-Tirinyi Road, has been successfully recovered following coordinated efforts by the Command Center, Budaka Police, Soroti City CPS, and the public. We thank all stakeholders for their cooperation and reaffirm our commitment to combating crime,” Saiga said.
He noted that no suspects had been arrested by the time of filing this report, as the vehicle was found parked without anyone inside. Police say investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible for the robbery and establish how the vehicle ended up in Soroti City-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
