Police in Luweero District have warned residents against taking the law into their own hands, saying retaliatory attacks arising from land disputes are escalating violence and threatening peace in communities.
Savannah Regional Police spokesperson ASP Sam Twiineamazima said recent incidents in Kamira Town Council point to a growing trend of revenge attacks targeting both property and livestock.
Police are investigating a case in which 30 cattle and 10 goats belonging to Erasmus Kigaba were injured on June 30, 2026, at his farm in Kaswa Village, Kamira Ward.
The case was reported by Kigaba's daughter, Betty Nabukenya, who told police that unknown assailants attacked the animals.
Police identified the suspects as Ssuka Bawona, Ali Kakooza and others, all residents of Namuningi LC1. A manhunt has been launched after some of the suspects reportedly fled.
However, investigators believe the attack may have been an act of retaliation linked to an earlier incident involving the same parties.
According to police, on June 21, 2026, Erasmus Kigaba allegedly led a group of people who cut down about half an acre of eucalyptus trees belonging to Isa Katende in Namuningi Village. Police believe the incident stemmed from a long-running land dispute between the two men.
"We strongly discourage members of the public from taking the law into their own hands. Land disputes should be resolved through the established legal processes, not through acts of retaliation that destroy property or injure animals," Twiineamazima said.
He said efforts were underway to arrest all those implicated in both incidents.
"Efforts are ongoing to arrest all those involved and have them brought before the courts. We urge anyone with information to cooperate with the police," he said.
Luweero Resident District Commissioner Mariam Nalubega also appealed to residents to report disputes to the relevant authorities instead of resorting to mob justice.
"Taking the law into your own hands only creates more conflict and divides communities. I encourage residents to report cases to the police and allow security agencies to handle them within the law," Nalubega said.
The warning comes as security agencies investigate a similar incident in Nakasongola District, where unknown assailants recently raided a farm and destroyed property valued at about Shs185 million, raising fresh concerns over retaliatory violence linked to land disputes across the Savannah Region.
