A suspected thief was killed by an angry mob in the early hours of Saturday after he was allegedly caught attempting to commit a series of thefts in Kasese Municipality, in yet another incident that has renewed concern over mob justice in the district.
The incident occurred at about 1:45am in Kamaiba Cell, Kamaiba Ward, Central Division, where the deceased, only identified as Bright, was allegedly attacked by residents.
According to the Rwenzori East Regional Police spokesperson, ASP Elly Maate, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect had allegedly snatched a woman's handbag before targeting another home.
“It is alleged that on July 18, 2026, at around 1:45am, the suspect grabbed a bag from a certain lady. He later went to another home, broke one of the windows with a hammer as he tried to gain access and steal. The owner of the house raised an alarm, attracting community residents who responded and lynched him,” Maate said.
Police were alerted shortly after the incident and responded to the scene, where they found the suspect critically injured.
“Police were informed, quickly responded and tried to take the victim to hospital, but he died on the way,” Maate said.
The body was taken to Kasese Health Centre IV Mortuary for a postmortem examination, while detectives recovered a small hammer believed to have been used to break the window.
“The body was taken to Kasese Health Centre IV Mortuary for postmortem, the small hammer used to break the window was recovered at the scene, and inquiries are still ongoing,” Maate added.
Police have launched investigations to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those involved in the assault.
Maate urged members of the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, reminding them that mob justice is a criminal offence.
He appealed to residents to arrest suspects peacefully and hand them over to police so they can be investigated and prosecuted through the courts.
The latest incident adds to a growing number of mob justice cases reported across the country, despite repeated police appeals for communities to allow the criminal justice system to handle suspected offenders.
