Grim mob violence toll exceeds 3,000 since 2021

Rugby Cranes player Sydney Gongodyo celebrates after scoring a try which gave Pirates an 8-6 win over Heathens at Kyadondo. He was lynched by a mob in Kampala on June 5, 2026. Phcto/File/John Batanudde.

The mob has killed over 3,764 people in Uganda between January 2021 and December 2025, with most of the incidents caused by suspicion of theft, Uganda Police Force statistics show.

The latest incident was of a mob that committed murder by assault of a Rugby Cranes player Sydney Gongondyo, 27, in Nakawa Division, Kampala City last Friday.

According to the police, the mob accused Gongondyo of theft of a woman’s bag, but none of his accusers involved the law enforcement personnel or reported the case to the police.

Gongondyo’s case highlights the growing incidents of people taking the law into their hands despite the police warnings.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson SP Racheal Kawala confirmed officers rushed Gongodyo to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 7pm.

Three suspects, Noordin Ssebagala, Roden Ayebazibwe and Juliet Namukose are now in custody. Preliminary findings indicate he was subjected to mob action after being accused of snatching a handbag though police stressed the circumstances remain under active investigation.

Police spokesman, Mr Kituuma Rusoke, said some of the attackers use mob action to settle personal grievances with innocent victims.

“The public is reminded that participation in mob action constitutes a serious criminal offence and may attract charges, including murder. We further caution the public against joining lynch mobs, as some individuals exploit such situations to settle personal grievances or target innocent persons under the guise of administering justice,” Mr Rusoke said.

Police and a section of residents gather at the scene where a suspected motorcycle thief was lynched at Zigoti Town Council in Mityana District on April 28, 2026. PHOTO/ENOCH MATOVU

Last year, mob action cases contributed nearly a quarter of all homicide cases. At least 950 people were killed in mob action incidents, which was 22.4 percent of the total 4,238 homicide cases last year, according to the annual crime report of 2025.

The victims of mob action were mainly suspected of having committed offences such as theft, robbery, murder, witchcraft, and burglary, according to the 2025 crime report.

Most of the mob action cases were reported to the North Kyoga Police Region, which covers part of the Lango sub-region, with 73 cases.

Following closely is Kampala Metropolitan Police East Re