Fear grips Kampala, towns as gangs spread terror

A spate of crime has gripped Kampala Metropolitan Area (KMP), with residents being attacked at work and while en route home, and in their residences.

The cases have been registered on the Northern Bypass, Makindye, and Kyanja in Kampala City; in Nansana Municipality, Kajjansi, Nsangi, Kira Municipality, and Makindye-Ssabagabo in Wakiso District; and in Goma Division, Mukono Municipality. But the police say the crime situation in the country is normal, although testimonies from residents and the increased security operations against suspected criminals tell a different story.

Ms Lyton Nabwami, one of the latest victims of the panga-wielding gang, said she was attacked on Valentine’s Day eve at 9 pm as she travelled back home on a motorcycle at Kibwa Village, Lugoba in Nabweru, Nansana Municipality in Wakiso District. “Five men trailed us on two motorcycles. I detected them, and we abruptly stopped at a lit place near the shops. They made a U-turn and rode towards us. They attacked me as they grabbed my bag, one boxed me in the mouth,” Ms Nabwami said. The thugs continued to attack her until they robbed her of all her belongings.

Ms Nabwami said the thugs then stormed a nearby pharmacy and demanded the attendant surrender her mobile phone. “Sensing danger, the attendant fled through the back door as the thugs dashed behind the counter and ransacked the drawers for money and fled,” she said. Ms Nabwami then went to a clinic for treatment. “A few minutes after the medics attended to me, a man came in bleeding. He had also been attacked. He said the attackers were on two motorcycles,” she said.

Ms Nabwami hasn’t reported her case to the police although her incident went viral on social media, with similar testimonies of panga-wielding gangs being cited across Kampala Metropolitan Area. The police haven’t picked interests like they normally do with cases involving the presidency and other government officials.

Nansana Mayor Regina Bakitte and her deputy Kato Yiga were yesterday unwilling to talk about the rise in crime in their jurisdiction. The police spokesman, Mr Kituuma Rusoke disputed reports of the spike in crime in Kampala City and outlying urban areas.

“The current security situation in Kampala is normal. There are incidents of crime, but they are not out of hand. There is no rise in crime, but more improved information flow about occurrences, courtesy of the vibrant social networks and digital platforms,” Mr. Rusoke said. He said incidents and occurrences go viral once shared on social media platforms, which was not the case previously. But back-to-back press releases by Mr Kituuma’s deputies in Kampala Metropolitan Police, Ms Rachael Kawala and Mr Luke Owoyesigyire, yesterday showed the situation isn’t normal, with the police carrying out disruptive operations.

The police carry out disruptive operations to combat criminality and restore public order in specific areas where there are high incidents. At least 215 people have been arrested in different parts of Kampala Metropolitan Area, with the Nsangi Police Station carrying out disruptive operations in the areas of Kyengera Central, Nabaziza, Masanda, and Kinawa in Nsangi Township, while Kira Police Division raided areas of Bulindo Katuli Zone and Buwate Ghetto under Kira Municipality.

Likewise, Nateete Police Station carried out arrests in Busega Zone 8, Musoke Zone, Kabawo, Busega Central C, and Kibumbiro. Kajjansi Police Station also conducted operations.

“Similarly, the police at Kajjansi conducted operations on Sunday at about 2300 hours in Akright Estate and Kinyarwanda, following community complaints over increased cases of phone snatching, theft of car number plates, burglaries, and other theft-related crimes,” Ms Kawala’s statement read in part. Ms Kawala added that the operation “focused on identified black spots and criminal hideouts, including unfinished and abandoned structures, construction sites, and bars operating beyond permitted hours”.

The Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesman, Mr Owoyesigyire, said their operations in Bulindo are “aimed at enhancing security in the area following an increase in crime, particularly in locations frequented by suspected criminals involved in drug-related activities”.

“A total of 27 suspects were arrested and charged with possession of suspected narcotic substances,” Mr Owoyesigyire said. But the residents blame the police for employing the old colonial method of random arrests of suspicious people in poor neighbourhood whenever there is a rise in crime, with the hope of scaring the criminals to run away. The Mayor of Namugongo Division in Kira Municipality, Mr Ronald Nkalubo, said the majority of the panga-wielding criminals on motorcycles enter their community through the Northern Bypass during the rush hours and spread to his neighbourhood.

“The criminals ride their motorcycles on the Northern Bypass, and when they reach Naalya Roundabout, they disperse to Kyaliwajjala, Najeera, and Ntinda. They attack people around 11 pm and beyond midnight. Sometimes, they use pavers to hit their victims,” Mr Nkalubo said. Mr Nkalubo said the armed criminals have attacked mobile money agents and passengers on motorcycles most. He said the situation was so bad that the police had to give them a second patrol vehicle and more motorcycles.

“The motorcycle police squad helped, but they aren’t so regular. Sometimes they are overwhelmed by the distance they cover. It is the reason sometimes those areas become no-go zones at night,” he said. Mr. Nkalubo’s jurisdiction also covers Kasokoso, one of the most populated parishes in Kira Municipality. He said crime in Kasokoso is rampant, arising from the crowding and unplanned settlements there.

TIMELINE OF INCIDENTS

February 11, 2026 (Tuesday): Uganda Christian University’s Director of Student Affairs, Pamela Tumwebaze, was attacked at her home in Mukono by unknown assailants. She later succumbed to severe injuries—a case that sent shockwaves through the community.

February 07, 2026 (Saturday) Shivani Asasira, manager of Dave Hotel and Suites and wife to Superintendent of Police Michael Akaturinda, along with Lawrence Musinguzi, a guard, were stabbed to death in a raid by machete-wielding gangs. The attack painted a grim picture of criminals running riot.

February 04, 2026 (Wednesday): The body of social media content creator Diana Namulinde, 24, was discovered in her apartment in Kyanja, Nakawa Division, Kampala City. Police detectives reported she had been robbed and strangled to death. Her killing struck a raw nerve, as she was a rising star with a large following.

January 06, 2026: Patrick Kasaasa, a teacher, was attacked by a gang of thugs riding motorcycles. He was robbed of several items, including a Samsung Galaxy phone, a Chromebook (2nd generation), a Dell laptop, and a Galaxy tablet, all valued at approximately Shs4 million. The attack occurred shortly after 9:50pm—a chilling reminder that danger lurks in the shadows.

January 06, 2026: Shadia Namaganda, a businesswoman, was also robbed of an iPhone 11 Pro Max, an Itel button phone, her National ID, and cash valued at about Shs3.5 million.

January 06, 2026: Musobya Bosco, a driver, was robbed of a Samsung Galaxy phone, a wallet containing his driving permit and National ID, and cash of about Shs420,000.

November 5, 2025: Peter Ssekamate, a mobile money agent, was shot dead in an attack at his business premises in Nabuta Village, Mukono District.

November 25, 2025: Criminals gunned down Assistant Superintendent of Police Emmanuel Bagenda, then officer-in-charge of Ntawo Police Post. His death underscored the growing audacity of attackers who now target even law enforcement.