Authorities in Mukono Municipality, in the village of Ngandu, have arrested a young man said to be a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) rider after he was found late at night with pieces of railway metal suspected to have been stolen.
The suspect, identified as Sharif Kirunda, a resident of Mbalala village in Nama Subcounty, Mukono District, was apprehended by locals who were patrolling their area around 10 p.m.
Kirunda was reportedly found with two sacks filled with metal materials used for fastening railway lines. He was transporting them on a Spiro electric motorcycle registration number UMA 329EQ. His alleged accomplice managed to escape. Kirunda was also found with a hammer, which authorities suspect he used to remove the metal pieces from an unknown location.
At Wantoni Police Post, where he was taken, Kirunda claimed he was not a thief, insisting that he had been hired to transport the metal scraps because he works as a boda boda rider.
The bike he has been using to transport the metals
“I was at my stage around 10 p.m. when a man I know—a Mukiga—approached me with sacks of scrap and asked me to take them to a store in Ngandu. He told me to ride ahead while he followed on another motorcycle,” Kirunda said.
He explained that when they reached the area, the man asked him to wait for a short while. However, a group of locals appeared, and fearing that they were robbers, he attempted to flee with his motorcycle, but the residents chased, caught, and beat him before handing him over to the village chairperson, who then took him to the police.
The Ngandu Village Chairperson, Ibrahim Kitenda, said Kirunda was found hiding in nearby bushes. Upon inspecting the area, residents recovered a motorcycle loaded with the metal pieces.
Kitenda added that when they questioned Kirunda about where he had obtained the items, his explanation was inconsistent, prompting residents to detain him and hand him over to the police. Some of the metal pieces had already been hidden inside the motorcycle’s storage box.
Residents told reporters that cases of theft, assaults, and housebreaking have been on the rise in the area. They have since decided to conduct regular community patrols to improve security and hand over any suspects to the police.
“The security situation here is very bad. Theft has become rampant, and now these thieves are using electric motorcycles. We thank our local leaders for trying their best to keep us safe,” one resident said.
Mukono Central Division Chairperson Robert Peter Kabanda condemned the act of vandalising government property, noting that such actions set the country back. He said the railway line plays a key role in reducing traffic congestion and supporting commuters, especially those travelling between Mukono and Kampala.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant, especially during this festive season, and we call upon security officers to intensify night patrols targeting suspicious boda boda riders,” Kabanda said.
By press time, police had not yet issued an official statement on the incident, but the suspect remained detained at Wantoni Police Post as investigations continued.
