Locals in Sembabule have beaten a suspected serial thief to a pulp after he jumped off a boda boda as he was being taken to police in Sembabule district.
This incident happened on November 15, 2024, in Bukana in Mijwala sub-county, Semabaule district.
The suspect has been identified as Kateregga Tebandeke, a resident of Bukanda village in Mijwala sub-county and a boda boda rider in Sembabule town.
Dante Mukibi, an eyewitness, said that Tebandeke was beaten nearly to death after being caught red-handed with 18 stolen matooke bunches on his boda boda that he had stolen from two banana plantations of Fred Serugo and Dennis Kitimbo’s; however, in the process of taking him to police, he jumped off the motorcycle and attempted to run, but he was chased and caught by locals.
“The locals had decided not to commit mob justice, but when Bukenya jumped off the boda boda on his way to police, this angered them, and they decided to take matters into their own hands; however, they were stopped by the defense secretary of Nsoga parish, Dalawusi Haruna,’’ Mukibi reported.
Abudallah Turyahabwe, the Defense Secretary of Bukana, confirmed this incident and revealed that the suspects were taken to a hospital in Sembabule in a critical condition.
Read Also: MOB JUSTICE: Four Coffee Thieves Escape Death in Sembabule
He said that the locals might have decided to beat Tebandeke to a pulp because he is a serial thief, and whenever he would be arrested, police would release him the next day.
“Police should stop shielding these thugs because whenever they are arrested, they are released the very same day or the next day after being given bribes by these suspects,’’ Turyahabwe noted.
The defense condemned the locals’ action, revealing that investigations are underway.
This incident highlights the rise in mob justice incidents in Sembabule, Uganda, reflecting a broader trend of community violence in response to crime.
On October 30, 2024, at around 4:00 am in Lusalira village in Mitete sub-county, Sembabule district, four individuals suspected of stealing coffee narrowly escaped death at the hands of an angry mob in Sembabule. The situation escalated as locals took matters into their own hands, demonstrating a growing frustration with crime in the area.
