Mob kills three amid surge in theft linked to climate despair in northern Uganda
Authorities in Uganda have decried mob action. PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION
What you need to know:
- Northern Uganda, once the epicentre of armed conflict, is now on the frontlines of climate stress, deepening poverty, fueling desperation, and driving young people to risk their lives for survival.
Three young men were on Wednesday lynched by mobs in northern Uganda in separate incidents of suspected theft, highlighting a growing wave of crime and vigilante violence fuelled by climate-induced poverty in the country's north.
Two unidentified men were beaten to death and their bodies burned after allegedly stealing Shs2 million from a mobile money agent in neighbouring Dokolo District.
They were intercepted at Adya Primary School in Akalo Town Council, after stopping to refuel their motorcycle.
“They were followed by a group on motorcycles who beat them severely. They died from the injuries, and the mob later set their bodies on fire,” said Ezekiel Awira, local council chairman of Akalo.
North Kyoga police spokesperson Patrick Jimmy Okema confirmed the killings, saying the suspects were already dead by the time police arrived.
“A case of murder by mob action was registered,” he said, adding that: “Relevant statements have been recorded, and the motorcycle used in the escape was recovered.”
Police urged the public to refrain from extrajudicial acts, noting that such violence violates constitutional rights to dignity and life.
“We encourage communities to apprehend suspects and hand them over to the police for prosecution,” Okema said.
In a separate incident the same morning, Dickens Okello, 23, was killed by a mob in Okwerodot Sub-county, Kole District, after allegedly attempting to steal a goat.
The animal’s owner, Molly Akello, said she raised an alarm after spotting the suspect with her goat. Villagers responded swiftly, catching Okello and beating him to death before police arrived.
His body was taken to Lira Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem.
The incidents come amid rising concern over youth crime in the Lango Sub-region, which includes the districts of Lira, Kole, Oyam, Dokolo, Apac, Kwania, Alebtong, Amolatar and Otuke.
Analysts link the growing lawlessness to the impacts of climate change on agriculture, the backbone of rural livelihoods in northern Uganda.
In July 2024, a 13-year-old boy, Christopher Anam, was lynched in Kwania District after allegedly stealing a goat to raise school fees. He had been sent home over unpaid balances and a study tour levy.
The Africa Centre for Trade and Development (ACTADE), in a January 2025 study with the Noble Youth Network, warned that erratic weather and declining farm yields are pushing many youth in Alebtong and other districts out of agriculture and into crime or alcohol abuse.
“Although some youths are still interested in farming, most have lost hope due to poor returns,” the report said.
It also noted that while men often give up, women are more likely to pursue adaptation strategies such as tree planting and diversifying livelihoods.
Northern Uganda, once the epicentre of armed conflict, is now on the frontlines of climate stress, deepening poverty, fueling desperation, and driving young people to risk their lives for survival.
