Locals in Uganda have killed a man suspected to defiling a 16-year-old girl. Bruce Akankwasa in his early 20s was mobbed on Thursday morning at Rubanda town council, Rubanda District, in Kigezi sub-region.
Elly Mate, the Kigezi police spokesperson, said locals encircled Akankwasa at the time he was about to engage the teenager in a sexual intercourse. Akankwasa attempted to flee for his life but he was overpowered by the mob.
The deceased who was a Boda-boda rider at Kitumbezi cells, Rubanda town council, was clobbered with stones, bricks and logs. One of the locals alerted police about Akankwasa’s situation but he died as he was being taken to hospital by police.
Police have condemned the locals’ act of killing Akankwasa without being accorded fair hearing. Section 28 clause 3 (a) states that “Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall, be presumed to be innocent until proved guilty or until that person has pleaded guilty; be informed immediately, in a language that the person understands of the nature of the offence; be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his or her defence.”
On average, one Ugandan is killed through mob action. Last year alone, 540 people were lynched on suspicion of being thieves, robbers, sorcerers, defilers and murders.
The killing of suspects by locals has been attributed to lack of trust in police institution whereby rich and armed criminals often get released as soon as they are reported.