City mob victim dies at Mulago hospital

The man who was captured on phone camera being tortured by Boda boda riders in the city centre over the weekend has died.
Hakim Mugonza breathed his last at Mulago National Referral Hospital where he was rushed for treatment with severe injuries.

Luke Owoyesigyire, the Deputy Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, says a group of Boda boda riders waylaid Mugonza along Wilson Road over the weekend. They accused him together with John Yiga for trying to steal their motorcycles.

The riders pushed Mugonza down and took turns to ride over him. Others hit Mugonza who was dressed in a white jersey and pair of jeans with sticks, stones and kicked him as he struggled on the ground. Another man who police have since identified as John Yiga also appeared in the video being manhandled by the irate mob.

A police officer dressed in Khaki uniform intervened to save the duo but was overpowered by the riders. According to Mr Owoyesigyire, police later managed to grab Mugonza from the mob and rushed him to Mulago National Referral Hospital where he has since been pronounced dead.

“Police intervened at a scene of the mob justice and managed to disperse the mob near Jesco Plazza. The victims were rushed to Mulago hospital but Akim has been pronounced dead,” Mr Owoyesigyire said on Wednesday.

According to police, the duo was accused of attempting to steal motorcycle registration number UEG 366P that was parked where they were standing. The rider had reportedly parked the motorcycle waiting for passengers to Muganzilwazza in Katwe.

The riders presented a master key, which Mugonza and Yiga purportedly used to unlock the motorbike. Cases of mob action are common in Uganda.

In 2018, the Criminal Investigations Directorate registered 636 cases of mob action, which representing a five percent increase compared to 603 cases recorded in 2017. By end of last year, CID had taken 96 cases in court, 93 were l pending while 431 were still under investigations.