The Police Flying Squad has arrested seven suspects linked to a motorcycle theft ring that had been operating in Rubaga, a Kampala suburb. The operation, which covered areas including Lungujja, Kosovo, and Mutundwe, followed public outcry over a recent surge in coordinated motorcycle robberies in the area.
A police officer at Wakaliga Police Post, who participated in the Lungujja operation, said the gang typically positioned itself along different roads while posing as potential customers before attacking unsuspecting boda boda riders.
“We’d received several reports of stolen motorcycles over the past three months, and we’d been tracking the cases,” said the officer. “Their modus operandi was to pose as customers, lure riders to distant locations, and then ambush them with accomplices waiting in hiding. They’d knock the riders on the head, and once they were incapacitated, the gang would flee with the motorcycle.”
The arrests were triggered by the tracking and recovery of a stolen motorcycle in Katwe, which was allegedly being dismantled for spare parts. During the operation, police recovered two stolen motorcycles with registration numbers UEW 612H and UMA 471AG, as well as exhibits believed to have been used in the attacks on riders.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Racheal Kawala said that seven suspected ringleaders were arrested during the operation. They include Denis Mwesigwa, Erias Washington, Samuel Niwugu, Derrick Nasasira, Medy, Mbabali, and Sam Nsereko. All are currently detained at Natete Police Division.
“A case of aggravated robbery has been opened, and investigations are ongoing to apprehend the other suspects. The police operation will continue, especially during the festive season, to combat motorcycle theft and other crimes like pickpocketing. In a related development, Hakim Mugabi Hakim, alias “Younger,” a notorious pickpocket, was arrested by police along Luwum Street at Mutasa Kafeero,” Kawala said.
The Natete operation followed similar crackdowns in Katwe, Ndeba, and Namugongo, all targeting the same motorcycle theft syndicate, which police say has been selling stolen motorcycles for spare parts. According to police, one of the alleged ringleaders, Musa Body, had dug a tunnel along the Nakivubo drainage channel where motorcycles stolen from different parts of Kampala were hidden.
Musa Body’s arrest followed a swift response by Namugongo Police after the arrest of Sam Kabuka, a gang member accused of stealing a motorcycle belonging to Charles Kasirye, a resident of Nsawo. Kabuka’s arrest led to further investigations that resulted in the capture of other suspects, including Musa Body.
According to the Police Annual Crime Report 2024, Kampala Metropolitan North and Kampala Metropolitan South recorded the highest number of motorcycle theft cases, with 1,630 incidents reported in areas such as Nansana, Katwe, Kawempe, Old Kampala, and Natete. Nationwide, Uganda recorded 6,311 motorcycle theft cases in 2024, representing a 4.1 percent increase from the 6,065 cases reported in 2023.
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