Police in Greater Masaka have warned the LC V Chairperson of Lyatonde district, Fred Muhangi, to stop inciting violence amongst the locals by ordering and mobilizing them to start carrying out mob justice on thieves.
These remarks were made by the police after different media platforms showed Muhangi ordering the locals during a village meeting in Mpumudde sub-county, Lyatonde district, to start killing whoever was caught stealing, claiming that the area police were not doing anything to stop the thieves.
During an interview on June 21, 2024, the Greater Masaka Police Spokesperson, Twaha Kasirye, emphasized that if Muhangi does not stop ordering and mobilizing the locals to carry out mob justice, he will be arrested and charged with murder.
Kasirye added that Muhangi should go to the police and present his concerns instead of going to the public and ordering them to take matters into their own hands, yet this is against the laws in Uganda.
‘’Muhangi should stop his people now before they do anything against the law because if they kill any thief through mob justice, Muhangi and whoever is involved will be arrested and charged with murder,’’ Kasirye said.
Muhangi, however, said that he knows his approach to tackling the theft problem in Mpumudde is wrong; nonetheless, the police in the area have not done anything productive to stop the robbers in his area, which has pushed the locals to the wall.
He further disclosed that in Lyatonde there is a lot of theft of animals and food, and this has forced the locals to start sleeping with them in their houses so that they are not stolen, something that is affecting their health.
Muhangi said, ’’We believe these thieves are working with police in Mpumudde because once arrested, they are released the same day and they continue from where they stopped, and this is frustrating and depressing to the locals.’’
