MUBENDE – Police have launched a manhunt for unknown assailants who killed a private security guard and stole his firearm during a pre-dawn attack at a coffee store in Mubende District.
The deceased has been identified as Joseph Mutegule, 40, an employee of Uganda Securico Company Limited who had served with the security firm for 15 years.
According to Wamala Region Police spokesperson Lameck Kigozi, the attack occurred at around 5:00 a.m. on July 25, 2026, at Artica Coffee International stores in Kagavu Village, Budibaga Parish, Kalonga Sub-county.
Police said the attackers ambushed Mutegule while he was on duty, assaulting him inside his guard room before dragging him approximately 200 metres into a nearby bush. They fled with his rifle, serial number UG 30373337E104297, along with three rounds of ammunition.
A caretaker at the coffee store later found the guard lying unconscious and attempted to rush him to hospital. However, Mutegule died on the way. The incident was reported to police by Apollo Muhereza, a resident of Greater Kalonga.
A joint team from Mubende Central Police Station, led by the District Police Commander (DPC), visited the scene and commenced investigations. However, police said the crime scene had been tampered with before investigators arrived, making it difficult for a police canine unit to effectively track the suspects.
Investigators documented the scene, collected evidence and recorded witness statements as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Mutegule’s body was taken to Mubende Hospital for a post-mortem examination, while police and the Regional Flying Squad Unit intensified efforts to recover the stolen firearm and arrest those responsible for the attack.
Police have also cautioned private security companies against deploying guards to high-risk locations without adequate backup, warning that single-guard deployments expose both personnel and property to criminal attacks.
Authorities have appealed to residents of Kalonga Sub-county and surrounding areas to provide any information that could help identify and arrest the suspects.
