Police in Mubende District have launched a manhunt for unknown assailants who killed a private security guard and fled with his firearm.
The incident occurred at around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday when unidentified attackers targeted Joseph Mutegule, 40, an employee of Securico Company Limited, who was deployed to guard Artica Coffee International Stores in Kagavu LC1, Kalonga Sub-county, Mubende District.
According to the Wamala Regional Police spokesperson, Lameck Kigozi, the attackers ambushed Mutegule in his room, assaulted and dragged him about 200 metres into a nearby bush, where he was later found unconscious.
Kigozi said the assailants robbed a rifle, serial number UG30373337E104297, along with three rounds of ammunition.
The caretaker of the coffee store was alerted and rushed to the scene before attempting to save Mutegule’s life by taking him to hospital. However, he died on the way.
The body was taken to Mubende Regional Referral Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Mutegule had served as a security guard with Securico Company Limited for the past 15 years.
The incident was first reported at Kalonga Sub-county Police Station before being escalated to Mubende District Police Headquarters, triggering an intensive search for the suspects.
A team of officers from Mubende Central Police Station, led by the District Police Commander (DPC), visited the scene. A police canine unit was also deployed, but it failed to trace the suspects because the crime scene had already been tampered with.
’Police in Mubende, in conjunction with the Regional Flying Squad Unit, are doing everything possible to identify and apprehend the suspects, as well as recover the stolen firearm before it is used in other criminal activities,” Kigozi said.
Following the incident, police renewed their warning against the deployment of lone security guards, noting that single deployments leave both guards and the premises they protect vulnerable to attack.
The Uganda Police Force previously banned the deployment of single private security guards as part of measures to curb the rising theft of firearms and robberies. However, police say some private security companies have yet to fully implement the directive-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
