Police have arrested 17 suspects in connection with a brutal mob justice incident in Lugala Village, Kasawo Sub-county, Mukono District, where two residents were lynched and their properties including houses and a car burned on allegations of practicing witchcraft.
The attack occurred after residents gathered at the home of Sam Ntege, a 45-year-old businessman, who was accused of engaging in alleged witchcraft practices involving spirits locally known as Amayembe.
The angry mob set fire to his home, reducing it to ashes, along with a Toyota Wish vehicle that was parked in his garage.
Ntege and another resident, Patrick Makubuya, 50, were beaten and killed by the mob.
Their bodies have since been taken to Mulago City Mortuary for postmortem examinations.
Initially, police had arrested two suspects, but the number has now risen to 17.
All suspects are currently detained at Nagalama Police Station and are undergoing further interrogation.
Speaking to the press at the Police Headquarters in Naguru on Monday morning, Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango said police had received intelligence from concerned onlookers warning of a possible outbreak of violence.
A team was promptly deployed to the scene, but upon arrival, officers were met with hostility from the crowd.
One police officer was injured after being pelted with stones. Officers responded by firing warning shots in the air in an attempt to disperse the mob, but the situation quickly escalated beyond control.
Crime scenes have since been revisited and re-documented as investigations continue. Police have condemned the mob action and warned the public against taking the law into their own hands.
