Parliament has called for urgent government intervention to curb the growing incidents of mob justice. The call follows the tragic mob action leading to the death of Rugby player Sidney Gongodyo on 5th June 20026. The matter was raised on the floor of Parliament as one of national importance by Andrew Ojok Oulanyah, the Omoro County MP and Vice President of the Uganda Rugby Union, who described the 27-year-old athlete’s death as a national tragedy.
“We buried him on 9th June, Heroes Day, hoping that his death would mark the end of mob justice,” Ojok told Parliament. “What happened to Sidney can happen to any one of us.” Gongodyo was reportedly attacked and killed by a crowd after being suspected of snatching a lady’s handbag.
The police have since arrested nine suspects linked to the mob violence. Oulanyah argued that the mob actions contravene Article 28(3)(a) of the Constitution of Uganda, which provides for the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court. “If you look at the videos, Sidney was bundled onto a police vehicle like a criminal before any due process had taken place,” Ojok said.
Oulanyah warned that mob justice had become normalized in many communities, where mere suspicion is increasingly treated as proof of guilt. The legislator requested Parliament to formally condemn mob justice, direct the Ministry of Internal Affairs to provide a comprehensive report within seven days, and present a national strategy to improve police emergency response times.
According to Oulanyah, delayed police responses often create conditions in which angry crowds take matters into their own hands. “When police are called and arrive three or four hours later, the suspect is often already dead,” he said. He cited police crime reports indicating that mob justice continues to claim hundreds of lives annually.
The MP further expressed concern over low prosecution rates for murder cases, arguing that weak accountability may be contributing to public frustration with the justice system. He told Parliament that only a fraction of homicide cases ultimately proceeds to court, creating perceptions that offenders often escape punishment.
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth, who presided over the sitting, described the incident as deeply painful and warned that no Ugandan is immune to becoming a victim of mob violence. “How do you administer justice to those who killed innocent people?”
Oboth noted that today’s mobs require little evidence before attacking suspects. “These days, it is enough for someone to shout ‘thief,’ and people pounce,” he said. The Speaker stressed that even public officials remain vulnerable.
“Even the Speaker is not safe. Security has its limits. Anyone can be attacked.” His remarks underscored growing concerns about public trust in law enforcement institutions and the increasing tendency toward instant street justice.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja condemned the killing and pledged government action against perpetrators of mob violence. Speaking on behalf of the Executive, Nabbanja described the death of the young rugby player as heartbreaking and unacceptable.
“I want to use this opportunity on behalf of the government to condemn mob justice in the strongest terms possible,” she said. Nabanja recounted a similar incident she witnessed while travelling in western Uganda, where a young coffee trader carrying weighing equipment was mistaken for a thief and killed by a mob.
“Just like that, we lost a young man,” she said. She acknowledged that mob justice remains a nationwide problem affecting both urban and rural communities. The Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to prepare a detailed report for parliamentary debate.
“This matter is very serious. All of us are affected. Our relatives are affected. Our voters are affected,” she said. The Penal Code Act criminalizes murder, assault, and unlawful killings regardless of the circumstances, while the Constitution guarantees every person the right to life, liberty, fair hearing, and due process. Human rights advocates have repeatedly argued that allowing mob justice to flourish undermines the rule of law and erodes confidence in state institutions mandated to administer justice-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
