A man suspected of stealing matooke (cooking bananas) collapsed and died at Kitigoma Police post in Njeru Municipality, Buikwe district, allegedly due to injuries sustained during a beating by a mob. The unidentified man was apprehended by villagers on January 9, 2024, at Jomayi-Namatogonya Zone in Kitigoma, Njeru Municipality, before being subjected to vigilante justice.
Local leaders informed Kitigoma police about the mob assault, prompting officers to rush to the scene. The man, pleading for mercy, requested to call his mother, claiming she would come and pay for the allegedly stolen matooke. Without disclosing his mother’s name or whereabouts, the suspect was rescued by police from the angry mob, but he appeared weak.
Upon reaching Kitigoma Police Post, the suspect collapsed and subsequently died from the injuries sustained during the beating. Hellen Butoto, the Public Relations Officer for Ssezibwa region, reported that the body displayed external marks of violence, including injuries to the back, limbs, and a broken arm, indicating severe assault. The police had not yet identified the deceased, and the body was taken to Jinja Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination as investigations into the case of murder by mob action continued.
