Participants attending a governance workshop in Mbale City have petitioned His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, the Umukuka and cultural leader of the Bamasaaba people, to intervene in the rising crime rates across the city.
During the session, a pastor who resides in the Indian Quarters narrated a harrowing experience. He narrowly escaped death while attempting to protect a woman being robbed near Nabuyonga Primary School. The pastor suspects the attackers were students from Nkoma Secondary School or nearby institutions.
The participants were attending a research dissemination workshop organized by the Bugisu NGO Forum (BUNGOF), in partnership with the Uganda National NGO Forum. They tasked Mr. Steven Masiga, spokesperson for the Bamasaaba cultural institution, to present their concerns regarding escalating murders and insecurity in Bugisu to the Umukuka.
Mr. Masiga pledged to deliver the concerns with urgency. In his keynote address, he emphasized the role of the cultural institution in uniting the Bamasaaba and highlighted some of its notable achievements. These include support for victims of the Bulambuli landslides and efforts to mobilize the Bamasaaba community to benefit from government programs.
The Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Iddi Mafabi—who also serves as the Executive Director of the Bugisu NGO Forum—urged participants to fully support the cultural institution.
Mr. Masiga also addressed the issue of disunity in Bugisu, acknowledging concerns raised in the workshop report. He reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to fostering unity among the Bamasaaba:
“As cultural leaders, when dealing with our people, we take off our political lenses. Whether someone is dressed in yellow, red, or blue, we do not see colors. We see Bamasaaba children wearing clothes bought from different markets—one buys yellow, another red, and so on.”
Mbale City has recently witnessed a disturbing wave of violent crimes. In one shocking incident, an 18-year-old woman was attacked in broad daylight, robbed of her phone, and hacked to death. A few months earlier, the son of Mr. Charles Woniala, former district speaker, was similarly murdered by thugs in Namakwekwe. Another victim, a student of Nakaloke Secondary School, was also killed in cold blood.
The city is reportedly overrun by gangs, many of whom are street children who roam during the evening hours. Some students from city schools have been implicated in minor crimes, such as phone snatching. In another tragic case, a student of Busitema University was shot dead after being mistaken for a robber.
These incidents have sparked widespread concern and discomfort among the Bamasaaba community, leading to an oral petition to His Highness the Umukuka, requesting cultural intervention.
According to police statistics from 2024, cases of rape are also on the rise in the region.
