Police in Luwero District have arrested five people for allegedly participating in a mob attack that resulted in the deaths of two suspected cattle thieves. The incident occurred on Monday morning at Mabuye Trading Centre in Kamira Sub-county, Luwero District.
The victims, identified as Henry Matovu, 28, and Dan Sebuuma, 28, both residents of Kamira Town Council, were lynched by an angry mob after being accused of cattle theft. According to Savannah Regional Police spokesperson Sam Twiineamazima, the two men were pursued from Kamira Town Council, intercepted at Mabuye Trading Centre, and beaten to death by a mob.
”The deceased were riding a Bajaj motorcycle, registration number UDU 118A, which was also set ablaze by the mob,” Twiinamazima said, adding that police responded promptly on getting information about the incident but found the attackers had dispersed.
”A team from the Homicide Department and Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) examined the scene,” Twiineamazima said. “A canine unit deployed tracked the suspects to the boda boda stage and some riders fled. Five suspects have since been arrested to assist with investigations.”
The suspects in custody have been identified as Steven Sande Kutesa, Swaib Shafiq, Kizito Solomon, Aron Tumuhebwa, and Abed Tugume. They were picked by Kamira Police Station pending transfer to Luwero Central Police Station. The bodies of the deceased were taken to Luwero Hospital for postmortem examinations as investigations continue.
Luwero remains one of the districts most affected by mob justice in Uganda. According to the Police Crime Report 2025, the district recorded 30 mob justice cases during the year, the highest number nationwide.
Police records further indicate that at least 127 people were killed through mob justice in Luwero between 2019 and 2024. The deaths included 22 in 2024, 35 in 2023, 18 in 2022, 21 in 2021, 12 in 2020, and 19 in 2019.
Authorities attribute most cases of mob justice in the district to theft-related incidents involving cattle, coffee, goats, chickens, motorcycles, and other property. The latest incident comes at a time when the country is still mourning Uganda rugby player Sydney Gongodyo, who was recently killed by a mob after being falsely accused of theft, reigniting concerns about the persistence of mob justice across the country-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
