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.
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 Region with 71, West Nile Region with 68 incidents, Rwizi Region with 62 deaths and Albertine South with 57 cases. Luweero District registered the highest number of mob action cases among Ugandan police divisions/districts, with 30 deaths, followed by Naggalama Division with 22 incidents, and Mukono Division with 20 cases.
Mukono Division was followed by Katwe Division (in Kampala City) with 19 cases, and Kamuli District with 17 incidents.
Mr Rusoke cited the murder of Jacob Akankwasa, an employee of Kyambogo University, after he had a disagreement over transport fares with a boda boda rider on December 5, 2024 near the Catholic Shrine in Namugongo, Kira Municipality.
Several suspects in the killing of Akankwasa were arrested, and they are awaiting prosecution.
‘The Uganda Police Force strongly condemns all acts of mob justice. Such actions are unlawful, undermine the rule of law, and often result in the loss of innocent lives. We urge the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands under any circumstances,’ he said.
In 2021, Aziz Bashir, 40, a former driver with the United Nations was lynched by a group of boda boda riders in an incident triggered by a minor road accident at Mengo-Katale in Rubaga Division, Kampala City, on Sunday.
The incident stemmed from an incident where a rider knocked Bashir’s car.
According to the police, Bashir jumped out of the car to complain to the boda boda rider, but other cyclists ganged up against the driver. Two riders were arrested on murder offences.