Police in Njeru are investigating the murder of a 20-year-old boda boda rider who was allegedly attacked by unknown assailants and robbed of his motorcycle along the Njeru-Nyenga-Katosi Highway in Buikwe District.
The victim, identified as Wycliffe Nyende, a resident of Bujuuta Village in Nyenga Division, Njeru Municipality, was found dead at around 5 a.m. on Thursday in Bukaya East Village.
Ssezibwa Region Police spokesperson Hellen Butoto said preliminary investigations indicate that Nyende was attacked by unidentified assailants who killed him before dumping his body in a trench and fleeing with his motorcycle.
“The deceased was attacked by unknown assailants who killed him, dumped his body in a trench and fled with his motorcycle,” Ms Butoto said.
The stolen motorcycle, a red Bajaj Boxer registration number UGE 722N, is valued at about Shs4 million.
Police officers, accompanied by a canine unit, visited the scene shortly after the incident was reported. However, investigators said the crime scene had already been tampered with before their arrival.
“Unfortunately, the scene had already been tampered with before the arrival of police officers, which affected some aspects of the preliminary investigations,” Ms Butoto said.
The body was taken to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination as investigations continue.
Police appealed to members of the public to provide any information that could help identify and apprehend the suspects.
“We appeal to anyone with information that may assist the investigations to report to the nearest police station. We also advise boda boda riders to remain vigilant and avoid using isolated or less busy roads, especially during odd hours,” Ms Butoto added.
Residents said Nyende is believed to have picked up passengers heading towards the River Nile area in the early hours of Thursday before he was attacked.
“We suspect he picked passengers travelling towards the Nile side. Unfortunately, he never returned home and was later found dead,” said Charles Lwanga, a resident of Bujuuta Village.
Lwanga urged boda boda riders to observe security precautions, especially when operating at night.
“Boda boda riders have on several occasions been sensitised not to carry two passengers at night, especially to isolated places. Some riders, however, ignore these security measures and fail to properly assess the people they transport,” he said.
The killing adds to a series of attacks targeting boda boda riders across the country, where motorcycles are often stolen after riders are lured to remote locations by criminals posing as passengers.
According to the Police Crime Report of 2025, a total of 7,863 cases of robbery were reported to police, compared to 8,163 cases in 2024