Machete wielding thugs injure 7 during home raids in Kyengera

Wakiso, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Seven people in Kyengera town council in Wakiso district are nursing injuries following attacks by machete-wielding thugs on Tuesday night. Some of the injured are Denis Mayanja, Frank Matovu, Sarah Nalubwama, Charles Ntambi, Frank Kawooya, and JB Ssempija, all residents of Wakimese zone in Kyengera town council.

Four of the machete victims are tenants at the home of Frank Matovu and his wife Sarah Nalubwama, which the thugs attacked around 1:00am. According to the victims, the thugs first broke into the house of Denis Mayanja who made the alarm that attracted the remaining tenants.

However, the thugs ambushed the residents when they responded to the alarm. The officers from Kyengere police who responded to the scene say that Matovu was critically injured in the attack.

His neighbours sustained minor injuries and are receiving treatment at the nearby clinics. The Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire, says that the suspects made off with lots of property.

At around 2:30am, police also responded to an alarm in Nabbingo, where the same thugs attacked two other homes. The victims Charles Nsubuga, John Musoke and Aisha Nakimbugwe, lost Shillings 3.6million, laptops and three mobile phones to the thugs. The thugs assaulted Musoke, who attempted to hold onto his items.

Owoyesigyire says that police have launched a manhunt for the assailants. “Right now efforts are on to trace these assailants and more information will be available as soon as we apprehend some suspects. We also plan to launch operations within the area,” Owoyesigyire noted.

The attack in Kyengera comes barely three days when a similar attack took place in Namungoona zone 1 in Lubaga division, a Kampala city suburb on Sunday. The thugs raided three homes, injured three people and robbed property.

The three victims included Geoffrey Sematimba 33, Mwebaze Geoffrey 34 and Kasawuli Yowasi who succumbed to injuries upon arrival at Mulago National Referral hospital. Thugs vanished with unspecified amounts of money and mobile phones from the homes. Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, Stephen Tanui blamed the area police for the slow response despite the alarms by the residents.

“It is very unfortunate that three families were attacked, and our security was slow to respond. We are going to tackle the weakness within us. But we shall get the criminals like we have been getting the rest. So the community should not be worried,” Tanui said on Sunday while visiting the affected homes. Last year, machete attacks rocked the greater Masaka region where about 26 people were killed within two months.

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