Entebbe: Drunkard Kills Colleague with Axe on Christmas Day

Entebbe Police are investigating two cases of murder and mob injustice that occurred on Christmas day.

According to Kampala Metropolitan police, on the 25/12/2019 at about 4:00pm, Gerenge Police Post received information from a one lsmail Vita, a fish monger and resident of Koko village in Katabi Town Council, Wakiso district that one Albert Atabuni had been murdered by Charles Okello.

It is said when the officer in charge of Gerenge police post and his team responded to the crime scene, the mob had already killed the suspect, Charles Okello.

From the scene, Police has stated that material evidence such as an axe and a stick with blood stains were recovered as exhibits.

“Both bodies were also recovered and taken to Mulago Referral Hospital city mortuary for postmortem examination,” said police.

Eye witnesses told police that both the deceased were good friends and had started boozing in the morning.

However, during the course of their enjoyment, it’s alleged the two picked a quarrel and that’s when Okello went and picked an axe and cut Albert on the head several times which led to over bleeding and death.

“lsmail Vita rushed to police to report the murder after the residents had  arrested Okello before the latter  was later killed by the angry mob,” said Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire.

In Uganda, cases of mob justice have been on the rise in recent years.

A countrywide report by Criminal Investigations Directorate compiled from January 1 to February 20, 2019 shows a total of 41 cases of mob action were reported to police, with 42 victims lynched and four people survived with grave injuries.

Experts say mob justice is the symptom of a society where ignorance, an incompetent justice system, and human rights violations impede access to justice.

They argue that the root cause of the phenomenon is the lack of public trust in the legal and security authorities to properly handle suspected criminals.