A mob attempting to lynch a murder suspect in Mukono district clashed with the police on Monday. A policeman was seriously injured in the fracas and is admitted in Mulago Hospital with a broken leg.
The fighting started when a mob invaded the house of Anthony Musoke in Kiwanga near Seeta town. Musoke was arrested on Sunday for the murder of a bodaboda cyclist, Mustafa Ssali. He was detained when a blood soaked reflector jacket, shirt and helmet, believed to belong to Ssali, were found in his house.
On Monday afternoon, residents of Kiwanga stormed Seeta Police Station and demanded Musoke's head. When the police refused to hand him over, the marched to Musoke's house and set in on fire.
Emmanuel Musoke, the LC1 chairperson of Kiwanga, says people are unhappy with the work of the police. He says the suspect was arrested on several occasions for robbery, but was always released without trial. He says the mob justice was the people's way of demanding better protection against crime.
The officer in charge of Seeta Police Station, Apollo Kyangungu, says during attempts to control the crowd, fighting broke out. It was then that the policeman was hurt.
Anthony Musoke is still in police custody pending trial. No one was arrested for Monday's violence or for the fire at Musoke's home.
