A year of brutal killings, fires in central region

Killings by machete–wielding thugs and devastating fires in the central region rocked 2018, casting a spotlight on the security situation.

From the city suburbs of Najjera to Mukono, Lwengo, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu, Kyotera and Rakai districts, residents experienced an upsurge of crime, and many still live in fear although police say the situation was contained .
The gangs, who first gained notoriety in Masaka Sub-region spread to Mukono, raiding six villages and hacking to death four residents on October 21.

Some of the victims were waylaid while returning home. Others were cornered in the safety of their living rooms and chopped.
Three days later, other thugs attacked businessman Archie Rwego at his home in Najjera, Kira Municipality, Wakiso District.
They left him in a pool of blood after stabbing him several times before taking off with a television set and a bag containing unspecified amount of money.

However, more attacks were recorded in Masaka Sub-region than elsewhere. On November 18, thugs descended on Kantungamye Village, Kingo Sub–county in Lwengo District, killing one person and leaving three injured.
The deceased identified as Atanansi Kamulegeya, 60, was hacked to death on his way from Kingo township to his home while the rest were attacked from their houses.

On October 11, the thugs also raided Kakabugema Village in Kagamba Sub- county in Rakai District and brutally killed two residents Catarina Nzibavuma, 85, and her 40-year-old son Farouk Fazari.

A day before, a similar heinous act had also occurred in Mubende District, where gunmen believed to be robbers, shot dead Edison Bagyendera, a general manager of a fuel station company, and made off with Shs44m.

The victim, who was driving a Toyota Premio, was reportedly intercepted by two thugs riding on a motorcycle at Kisojjo Village in Kasambya Town Council about 30km away from Kasambya filling station where he had picked the money.

On July 1, armed thugs, including a retired army officer raided Muto Hardware in Masaka Town, killing two people, a security guard Moses Musinguzi and an employee Shafick Kiggundu. The thugs later made off with unspecified amount of money.
Five months earlier on May 1, the machete–wielding thugs had also attacked Kabano Village, Kasasa Sub- county in Kyotera District and hacked the village chairperson, Mr Charles Matovu in the wee hours of the night.
Mr Matovu is still nursing wounds.

On New Year’s eve, unknown assailants armed with guns, machetes and clubs attacked several villages, including Kiryasaaka in Kingo Sub-county in Lwengo District, Kisojjo, Kyabagoma and Kyamabaale in Kibinge Sub-county in Bukomansimbi District in the wee hours of the night.

Five people, including a retired police officer Denis Ssebugwawo Lumala were killed and 12 others injured in both incidents.
This prompted the then Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, to pitch camp in Bukomansimbi for several days but this did not stop the attacks.

The attacks have since created fear and panic among residents. In some instances, the attackers first dropped anonymous leaflets threatening to kill or harm individuals.

Despite security agencies stepping up joint operations in the sub-region in the past 12 months, more people continue to be killed by unknown assailants. This has forced many traders in townships to start closing their shops as early as 7pm to avoid being robbed.

The southern Regional Police Commander, Mr Latif Zaake, says the area has been pacified after arresting key masterminds of machete attacks.
“The situation is not as bad as that of last year. There is a great improvement in security compared to the past three years. What we have recorded are few isolated incidents of criminality, but the region is generally peaceful,” Mr Zaake says.

He says Mr Muhammed Kiddawalime, who was believed to have been the ring leader of the thugs was killed by a mob in Mukoko Village, Kalungu District after a foiled raid on Ms Resty Nakyambadde’s home on March 8.
“Prior to this incident, Kiddawalime and his partner Musa Ggaliwango had escaped from Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court where they had been arraigned to answer murder charges,” Mr Zaake says.

He adds that Ggaliwango was later arrested in Ntungamo District and is currently serving a two-year jail term at Masaka prison for escaping from lawful custody.

This year alone, at least 15 people have been killed in similar circumstances and up to 40 others were hospitalised in Lwengo, Rakai, Kalungu and Masaka districts.

Police arrested more than 100 suspects in connection with these murders although half the number were released after police failed to produce incriminating evidence against them in court.

At least three in every 10 households in the sub-region have suffered the wrath of machete –wielding thugs.
When President Museveni visited Lwengo in November, Mr Zaake told him that their biggest challenge as security agencies are cases of human sacrifices.
“Your Excellency, we addressed the problem of bijambiya (machete –wielding thugs) and what is bothering us now are cases of human sacrifices engineered by witch doctors and we are determined to fight them as well,” Mr Zaake said then.

Fire outbreaks
However, another tragedy struck the region on the night of November 11. Tears, anger and anguish hung in the air at St Bernard’s Secondary School, Mannya in Rakai as parents stormed the school following the news of an inferno that gutted a dormitory for Senior Three students.

The fire left 11 students dead and 49 others with injuries. Although six suspects, including four students and two guards are facing trial at Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court over the incident, parents of the victims are yet to come to terms with the inferno.

Ms Caroline Nabasagi, a mother of Charles Ssuuna, one of the 11 students who perished, said the latter had a dream of becoming a civil engineer.

“As a family, we were ready to pay his school fees up to university. It is unfortunate that he went too soon and did not live to achieve his dream,” Ms Nabasagi says.

Similar fires were also experienced at four schools Naalya SS, Namugongo campus, Bishop Ddungu Primary School in Lwengo, St Augustine’s College, Wakiso and Greenhill Primary School in Kifuuta Village, Kitanda Sub-county in Bukomansimbi.
Property worth millions of shillings perished. The other fires occurred in Kalangala District.