By Alfred Opio
Police in Kibuku District have launched investigations into a suspected mob justice incident in which a 25-year-old man was reportedly killed after being accused of stealing groundnuts.
The deceased has been identified as Wakiri Yeko, a peasant and resident of Buyumbu Village, Nangaiza Parish in Goli-Goli Sub-county, Kibuku District.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on the night of March 5, 2026, at an unknown time. It is alleged that the deceased, together with three other individuals, was found in possession of a sack of groundnuts suspected to have been stolen.
Unidentified people reportedly began chasing the group. While the other three individuals managed to escape, Wakiri was intercepted and overpowered by the attackers.
Police say the assailants allegedly inflicted severe cuts on his neck and head before abandoning his body at the scene alongside the sack of groundnuts.
The matter was reported to police on March 6, 2026, at around 6:00 a.m. by Muzei James, the LC1 chairperson of Buyumbu Village. The case was registered at Kagumu Police Post under SD reference number 02/06/03/2026.
The Wilfred Kyempasa, the Bukedi North Regional Police Spokesperson, confirmed the incident and said officers from Kibuku Central Police Station together with Scene of Crime Officers visited and documented the scene.
Police recorded statements from witnesses, retrieved the body, and transported it to Kibuku Health Centre IV for a postmortem examination.
A sack of groundnuts believed to be connected to the incident was also recovered from the scene and taken as evidence at the police station.
ASP Kyempasa said that by the time of reporting, no suspects had been arrested as the attackers had not yet been identified.
Investigations into the murder are ongoing, and police say more details will be provided as inquiries continue. Authorities have also continued to caution the public against mob justice, urging communities to hand over suspects to police instead of taking the law into their own hands.
