A person believed to be mentally ill has been killed in Nakasongola, in a case of mistaken identity.
Fred Mbeta, a resident of Wajjala village in Lwampanga sub-county was shot from Namayonjo village where he was found walking with a panga on Monday around midday.
Amon Kijjumbi, a brother to the deceased says that Mbeta was suspected to be among the panga welding men who have terrorized the area in the recent weeks.
On hearing the news, Kijjumbi said he rushed to the scene where his brother had been rounded off by motorists and explained to them that he was mentally ill. However, as the mob let him go, he was shot by policemen who found them on the roadside where they were coordinating transport to take him back home.
According to Patience Namara, the Nakasongola District Police Commander (DPC), the suspect became violent and had attempted to hack one of the police officers as they tried to arrest him, following a tip off from residents who alleged that he had become a threat to the public.
He died on the way to Nakasongola Health Center IV.
The Savannah Regional Police Commander Caroline Akoth says the situation is still tense in the area. She also blamed the deceased’s family for failing to alert the Police on time so as to have the victim transferred to Butabika Hospital for treatment.
The locals suspected the deceased to be among the panga wielding men who killed six people in a space of just a week. They were killed in two separate attacks at Wabigalo trading centre in Wabinyonyi sub-county, in Nakasongola District. These were identified as Lozio Matovu (90), Judith Odur (38), Amos Sekanza (7) and Mesarch Mawanda, 10. The other victims are Fred Bulega and Fred Mujuni all residents of Kitego village in Wabinyonyi sub-county in Nakasongola who were hacked dead last week.
Police have since arrested three suspects in connection with the attacks. All suspects are believed to be of sound mind.
On Thursday last week, Policemen shot Kelvin Mutegesi, a local musician commonly known as Sida Man, a resident of Kansirye village in Nakasongola town after he was suspected to be the man who hacked four people dead at Wabigalo trading centre. Policemen stopped him during the patrol but he attempted to run prompting a shootout.
He was rushed to Bombo Military Hospital where he succumbed to multiple injuries.
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