Police have arrested five suspects linked to the suspected mob-lynching of Uganda Rugby Cranes star Sydney Gongodyo last week, bringing the total number of those in custody up.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Rachel Kawala, said the intensified manhunt has so far led to the arrests of Herbert Twinomujuni, Katsigazi Perigrino, Darlious Tayebwa, Hannington Tugume, and Elly Mondoni. The suspects are detained at the Kira Road and Jinja Road police stations.
“Efforts are ongoing to identify, trace, and apprehend other individuals believed to have participated in the incident. The Uganda Police Force remains committed to ensuring that all those responsible are brought to justice. Further updates will be provided as the investigations progress,” Kawala said.
The lynching has revived debate over boda boda riders’ role in violence. They are often linked to mob justice, sometimes joining attacks without verifying claims. But Kituuma Rusoke on Monday warned against condemning the whole industry, saying a few individuals should not define the sector.
Mob actions remain a significant contributor to violent deaths in Uganda, often fueled by public mistrust of the justice system and a tendency by some citizens to take the law into their own hands.
Lawyer Stephen Kalali warned that such acts can easily lead to murder charges. He added that the actions are driven by the loss of trust in the justice system, citing police corruption and judicial delays in delivering rulings.
“Some courts delay delivering justice to victims, and this keeps piling up anger among the public,” Kalali said. “So when someone who was robbed gets no justice from police or courts, and finds others beating a person over any allegation, he doesn’t ask questions but joins the mob.”
He believes that the community public courts recently introduced by the Judiciary could help restore Ugandans’ lost trust in the justice system.
Gongodyo, 27, who also played for Stanbic Pirates Rugby Club, was killed last Friday in a mob attack in Upper Naguru, a Kampala suburb in Bukoto I Parish, Nakawa Division. He was accused of snatching a bag, an allegation yet to be proven.
Videos circulating on social media show the helpless Gongodyo being assaulted by a group that included boda boda riders. In one clip, he is struck on the head with a log as others beat him. He was pronounced dead at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Gongodyo’s death sparked mourning in Uganda’s rugby community and social media outrage, with demands for police action. Using CCTV from the scene, police have arrested five more suspects. This adds to Noordin Ssebagala, Rode Ayebazibwe, and Juliet Namukose, arrested over the weekend.
Mob action accounted for 950 of the 4,238 murders recorded in the 2025 police crime report, 22.4%. The police have warned that participants in mob violence can be charged with murder-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
