Residents of Ngandu Village in Mukono Central Division, Mukono Municipality, are living in fear following a brutal machete attack on the Director of JesyJonny Day and Boarding Primary School, Mr. Geoffrey Mayanja Ssezibwa, aged 54.
The assailants, reportedly armed with pangas and riding a numberless motorcycle while wearing facemasks, ambushed him in the early morning hours on his way to school.
According to family members, Mr Mayanja had left home around 5:00 a.m. to check on teachers who had spent the night at the school. His wife, Mrs. Penninah Nakabuye, said that shortly after he left, she began her morning prayers, only to be interrupted 26 minutes later by their son, who ran in screaming that his father had been attacked near the school gate.
Witnesses say the assault occurred just a few metres from the school entrance. Primary Seven pupils who had arrived early for morning lessons reportedly saw the assailants hacking the school director and raised an alarm. Their screams attracted the attention of the school’s security guard, who tried to intervene but was intimidated by the attackers.
Mr Mayanja sustained multiple deep cuts—six on the head and two on the legs—and was rushed by Good Samaritans to Mukono Church of Uganda Hospital, where he arrived in critical condition.
Dr. Joyce Nannozi, the hospital’s medical superintendent, confirmed that the victim was brought in at dawn with severe injuries and heavy bleeding.
At the crime scene, bloodstains were still visible near the school gate. Residents expressed fear and anger, calling for urgent government intervention to address the escalating insecurity in the area.
Mr Richard Luswata, a resident, lamented the growing wave of machete attacks in Mukono, saying the community was living in constant fear.
Former Mukono Municipality Mayor Mr George Fred Kagimu condemned the attack as “barbaric and cowardly,” urging police to step up patrols and community vigilance.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson SSP Patrick Onyango confirmed the incident, classifying it as a case of aggravated robbery.
He added that police officers had visited the victim in hospital, provided medical forms for examination, and launched investigations. “We have already developed leads and are following them closely,” he added.
This latest attack adds to a worrying trend of machete violence in Mukono. Just weeks ago, local businessman Mr Godfrey Wanyengera was killed in a similar incident, sparking renewed calls for enhanced community policing and street lighting in vulnerable areas.
As security agencies intensify the manhunt for the attackers, residents of Ngandu remain gripped by fear — choosing to stay indoors before dawn and after dark — a chilling reminder that the shadow of machete terror still hangs over parts of Mukono.
