Leaders in Ndeeba say criminal ringleaders supply stolen motorcycles to gangs and require members to pay daily fees from robbery proceeds. They blame that practice for fuelling violent crime in the area. Ndeeba Parish in Rubaga Division remains one of Kampala’s crime hotspots. It consistently features among areas with the highest number of street robberies, house break-ins, phone thefts and daylight cash robberies, particularly in Simbwa, Kironde and Kaboowa zones.
Musa Muhanguzi, the Defence Secretary for Kironde Zone, said they receive between 10 and 15 robbery reports every week. He cited a recent incident in which a businessman was attacked by a gang riding a motorcycle and armed with machetes. The attackers reportedly stole about Shs20 million and other valuables. Muhanguzi alleged that gang leaders hire out stolen motorcycles to their members after hiding them in underground tunnels.
“We have places around the railway and here in Ndeeba where thugs gather every evening to collect motorcycles before attacking people and terrorising motorists. One of the ringleaders is only known as Warrior, but he has not yet been arrested. He gives motorcycles to his teams, and they pay him Shs30,000 every evening,” Muhanguzi said.
He said many motorcycles stolen from other parts of Kampala are taken to these hideouts, where they are altered before being hired out to gang members. He added that the groups also recruit unemployed youth into their criminal networks.
Emmanuel Kwajju, a police officer and resident of Kironde, blamed the persistence of crime on the reluctance of some residents to support law enforcement. He said community members often turn against those who report suspected criminals, especially when those arrested are their relatives. “We’re seen as enemies for informing the police and the army about their children. People can turn against you, making others afraid to share information with security agencies. That lack of cooperation has contributed to the rise in crime,” Kwajju said.
Regan Mutebi, one of the latest victims, said he was attacked on Wednesday night in Simbwa Zone by assailants riding two motorcycles. He said the attackers, who concealed machetes inside their jackets, assaulted him and his sister before stealing their belongings.
Mutebi is still recovering from his injuries. He called for increased security deployment, saying several motorists and pedestrians were attacked in the same area that night. The robberies in Ndeeba reflect a wider rise in attacks by criminal gangs posing as boda boda riders.
Police say the suspects often trail people withdrawing or transporting large sums of money before ambushing them using speed, numbers and violence. Earlier this year, Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Commander ACP Ezekiel Emitu launched sustained operations targeting crime hotspots, with Ndeeba and Katwe identified among the most affected areas. Police also say the two areas host some of the city’s biggest markets for stolen motorcycles.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachel Kawala says security agencies are optimistic that continued intelligence-led operations will reduce crime in Ndeeba and surrounding areas. However, local leaders are calling for more coordinated security operations, improved intelligence gathering, and regular joint night patrols involving both the police and the army-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
