Kibuku, Uganda  A 38-year-old man was beaten to death by an angry mob in Bulalaka Village, Tirinyi Town Council, Kibuku District, after he was found with a suspected stolen sheep early this morning. Â
The victim, identified as Kalenzi Musa, a resident of Bukalijo Cell, was reportedly caught at around 5:30 AM with a brown sheep tied to his leg, which he could not account for. Witnesses say locals, who knew him as a notorious thief, quickly turned violent, lynching him on the spot. Â
Mwanika Muhammad, 46, a resident of Bulalaka Village, reported the incident to police, who arrived at the scene and recovered the sheep as well as a damaged phone. The body of the deceased was taken to Kibuku Health Center Mortuary for postmortem before being handed over to relatives for burial. Â
Kibuku Police have registered a case of murder by mob and are investigating the incident. Â
Â
ASP Kyempasa Wilfred, the Criminal Investigations Officer and Police Public Relations Officer for Bukedi North, strongly condemned the act, urging the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. Â
"Mob justice is a criminal offense. Even if someone is suspected of theft, they should be handed over to the police for proper legal action," he stated. Â
Authorities are continuing with inquiries as they seek to identify and arrest those involved in the lynching. Â
The incident has sparked mixed reactions among locals, with some justifying the mob's actions due to frequent theft cases in the area, while others fear the growing trend of vigilante justice. Â
Police have called for calm and cooperation as investigations proceed. Â
