Written By | BK Mugizi
Elly Maate said that the shooting was carried out by Police Constable Okedi Muhammad, attached to the Uganda Police Force in Ntungamo District
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KISORO
Police in the Kigezi Sub-region are investigating two separate murder incidents in Kisoro District and Rukungiri District, in which a suspected motorcycle thief was shot dead by a police officer while another suspected robber was lynched by a mob.
The Kigezi Region police spokesperson, Elly Maate, confirmed the incidents on Thursday.
Suspected motorcycle thief shot dead in Kisoro
Police in Kisoro District are investigating the circumstances under which a 26-year-old boda boda rider was shot dead during an operation to recover a stolen motorcycle. The deceased, identified as Mwijuke Hassan, a resident of Gafuruzo Parish in Nyarubuye Sub-county, was allegedly shot on Thursday at about 9:15 a.m. in Gaseve Village, Nyakinama Sub-county.
According to Elly Maate, the shooting was carried out by Police Constable Okedi Muhammad, attached to the Uganda Police Force in Ntungamo District.
Maate said the deceased had allegedly stolen a motorcycle, registration number UGA 313U, a red Bajaj Boxer, from Rwenturagara Cell in North Division, Mbarara City, on March 6, 2026.
“It is alleged that the suspect deceived the wife of the motorcycle owner by telling her that he had been sent by her husband to use the motorcycle. Since she had previously seen him working for the husband as a casual labourer, she handed over the keys,” Maate said.
When the owner, Nambajira Benson, returned home later that evening, he was shocked to learn that the motorcycle had been taken. After failing to reach the suspect by phone, he reported the case at Kakika Police Station in Mbarara the following day.
Investigations later established that the motorcycle had passed through Ntungamo on the same day it was stolen. The complainant then worked with officers to trace the suspect.
Police officers travelled to Kisoro on March 11 and booked their presence at Central Police Station Kisoro before starting the operation on Thursday morning.
Maate said the officers traced the suspect along the Kisoro–Bunagana Road while he was reportedly trying to pick up a female passenger using the stolen motorcycle.
“They informed him that he was under arrest, but he jumped onto the motorcycle and attempted to flee. The officer fired warning shots in the air, but when he failed to stop, he was shot and died instantly,” Maate said.
He added that six cartridges were recovered from the scene as exhibits.
The officer involved and his team were arrested to assist with investigations, while the scene was documented by detectives and homicide officers.
Suspected robber lynched by mob in Rukungiri
In a separate incident in Rukungiri District, a suspected robber was beaten to death by a mob on Wednesday night.
The deceased was identified as Crispus Nuwamanya, 22, a resident of Kayaga Cell in Kakindo Parish, Bugangari Sub-county.
According to Elly Maate, the incident occurred at around 9:50 p.m. in Kirundo Village, Rugoma Parish, Ruhinda Sub-county.
Police at Ruhinda Police Station received information that suspected robbers had attacked the home of Muhoozi Vincent Taifa, 61.
“On arrival at the scene, police found one suspected robber already arrested by residents and badly beaten, while another suspect had escaped,” Maate said.
Police rushed the injured suspect to Rukungiri Health Centre IV, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
His body was later taken to Buyanja Health Centre III for a post-mortem examination before being handed over to relatives for burial. Police arrested Muhoozi Vincent Taifa and Baguma Felix Kariwano to assist with investigations.
Maate cautioned the public against taking the law into their own hands and urged residents to always hand suspects over to police for proper investigation and prosecution.
Torch Media Africa
