By Aaron Okotel
MBALE CITY
Teargas and live bullets rocked Mbale City’s Northern Division on Monday morning, October 6, 2025, as police intervened to rescue murder suspects from a furious mob demanding retribution.
The intense unrest in Kisenyi Cell, Nabiyonga Ward, left two suspects in police custody following a deadly altercation.
The violence was triggered by the fatal striking of a local vendor, Aisha Masibu, a resident of Bukonde Machere village. Aisha was reportedly struck by a stone while attempting to protect her husband from a group of assailants near Kikindu Market. Her husband had been involved in a fracas and was being severely beaten. He is currently receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the assault.
Furious over Aisha’s death, her relatives carried her body to the suspects’ home in Kisenyi Cell to demand they be handed over. With three suspected assailants barricaded inside, the enraged crowd began destroying and looting the house to force them out.
One suspect managed to escape the chaos. The second was reportedly pulled out after the mob lit the house on fire, resulting in a severe beating before police intervened and rescued him. The third and prime suspect, identified as Yusuf alias 50¬-50 was eventually rescued safely from the locked house after a critical intervention by military forces.
Elgon Region Police Spokesperson, Rogers Taitika confirmed they are now holding two individuals in custody on suspicion of murder.
Taitika issued a strong appeal for calm, reminding the public that mob justice “hinders the investigation.”
“We emphasize that criminal liability is an individual responsibility,” Taitika stated. “The actions of a perpetrator should not be used as justification to target or destroy the property of their guardian, parent, or any associated facility.”
Residents allege that Yusuf alias 50 has been a serial criminal in the area, residing with his mother as her only son.
Nabiyonga Zone Security Secretary, Seku Abdulkarim, confirmed the suspect had been recently released after serving a six-month sentence, only to immediately resume his criminal activities.
Echoing the concern, Mbale City Deputy R.C.C. Gadimba Hussein called on parents to tame their children and be more vigilant, noting that drug abuse among local boys is a major contributor to the misbehavior and crime wave. The suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue.
