Criminal gangs terrorise residents in city suburbs

A man who was recently hacked by criminals lies in Mulago hospital. File photo

What you need to know:

The gangs, armed with guns, iron bars and machetes, are carrying out attacks in different parts of the city.

Kampala- Criminal gangs are back at it again. The gangs, some armed with guns and others with iron bars and machetes, are carrying out attacks in different parts of the city.

The most affected areas are in Mukono Municipality, Kira Town Council and Kajjansi Township, where gangs have been able to break into houses and hack occupants despite high deployment of police. Thugs have also been erecting roadblocks and robbing unsuspected motorists.

Mr Abubaker Muwonge, a resident of Ndejje-Lubugumu, said he was stopped on gunpoint by armed men dressed in police and army uniforms while driving his expectant wife home, and robbed of property at Lubowa, a Kampala suburb, at around 10:20pm recently.

“Three guys in police and military uniforms pointed an AK47 at us. After stopping, about 10 jumped out of the bush, one [of them] had a pistol. [I] lost cash, phones, bank cards,” said Mr Muwonge.

“I reported immediately, the thugs were still robbing people there, but police men just said they were to visit the location later, so they were like waiting for the thieves to go, then raid,” he said.

Gen Kale Kayihura, the police chief, deployed officers to arrest the suspects in the area in January 2012 after similar attacks. He also ordered for the arrest of six police officers after they failed to respond to the report from victims. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Patrick Onyango said are underway to arrest the criminals.

Kampala Metropolitan Police North commander Siraj Bakaleke said the Force recently arrested six people they believe to be part of the gang in Mukono District.

“Our investigations show they were eight suspects. We have arrested two in Kira Division, Wakiso District and another four were arrested in Mukono,” Mr Bakaleke said.