What was meant to be a solemn farewell turned into a scene of chaos and tragedy when Police Constable Suleiman Chemonges, 28, was lynched by a mob during a burial ceremony in Ibanda District.
Chemonges, attached to Bisheshe Police Post in Ibanda Municipality, had been deployed to provide security at the burial of Lazarus Kahangire, an inmate from Nyabuhikye Government Prison who had died on remand.
Kahangire had been facing charges of attempted murder in a land dispute case registered under IBD CRB 849/2023.
According to eyewitnesses, PC Chemonges arrived at the burial around 1:00 p.m., riding a police motorcycle with registration number UP 6055.
Clad in uniform and carrying his service rifle, he parked under a tree, a short distance from the burial tent, and walked towards the mourners.
“He looked like he was recording something with his phone,” said one mourner who requested anonymity.
“Some people noticed and immediately began shouting at him, demanding to know why a policeman was filming a private burial.”
Tensions quickly escalated.
According to eyewitnesses, some relatives of the late Kahangire accused Chemonges of spying and began hurling stones at him.
In response, the officer fired two warning shots into the air.
“He fired the third bullet, but the crowd kept advancing. That’s when he tried to escape,” another witness told the Nile Post.
As he attempted to flee, the crowd pursued him. In a desperate effort to disperse them, Chemonges fired more rounds, injuring two people in the legs.
However, he tripped and fell to the ground. That was when the mob descended on him with sticks and clubs.
“They beat him on the head repeatedly until he died,” a local elder said .
Security forces led by the Assistant Resident District Commissioner of Ibanda, Mr. Richard Banjo, arrived shortly afterward to restore order.
“We condemn this act of mob justice in the strongest terms. No matter the grievance, taking the law into your hands is unacceptable,” Mr. Banjo stated.
The burial, which had been halted due to the incident, resumed at around 4:00 p.m. under heavy police presence.
PC Chemonges, originally from Kapchorwa District, is remembered by his colleagues as a disciplined officer who had served with dedication.
His untimely death has sent shockwaves through the police force and the local community, reigniting conversations around mob justice and public mistrust in law enforcement.