John Kyangwa, a witch doctor from Namisambya village was lynched on Friday for allegedly masterminding ritual killings in the community. Unidentified woman was lynched in Kamuli municipality for allegedly attempting to steal a baby from a commuter taxi.
![]()
The Busoga North police spokesperson,Michael Kasadha.
Kamuli are police struggling with a high number of mob
justice cases. The latest cases occurred in the past one week where three
people were killed in three separate incidents.
The Busoga North Police Spokesperson,
Michael Kasadha, identifies the deceased as 40-year-old Daaka Kibito, a
resident of Butoigo village.
He was lynched in Balawoli trading center on suspicion of
stealing a mobile phone.
John Kyangwa, a witch doctor from Namisambya
village was lynched on Friday for allegedly masterminding ritual killings in
the community. Unidentified woman was lynched in Kamuli municipality for
allegedly attempting to steal a baby from a commuter taxi.
According
to Kasadha, Kamuli district registers between
10-15 cases of mob justice each month, adding that 80% of the victims lose
their lives. He says their efforts to punish suspects are frustrated by
local leaders who offer them protection.
“As an institution, we have done our best to investigate
cases of mob justice but there are a few elements within the political circles that
harbor suspects and even threaten witnesses from cooperating with police,” he said.
Adding that “we are employing community policing mainly among
the youth and motorists to ensure that proper legal procedures are followed to
attain justice.”
Thomas Kategele, the Kamuli LC 5 chairperson, says that some
people have lost trust in security institutions.
“I condemn mob justice but I
believe the vice is increasing because the public has lost trust in police. The
slow pace at carrying out investigations and apprehending suspects has given
room to mob justice as a remedy of relief to the offended persons,” he said.
