By Philip Wafula
Boda boda riders in Kamuli municipality, Kamuli District are pondering abandoning their jobs after a son to one of them was killed by yet-to-be identified assailants, who fled with the father’s motorcycle registration number UGA 152Z.
Shamil Mugere, who was in his early 20s, and a son to James Mugere, who operates on Labour boda boda stage in Kamuli municipality, was on Monday night killed after the father asked him to run some domestic errands.
It is said that the deceased, who was selling chips near his father’s boda stage, was last seen alive on that fateful day between 7:30pm and 8pm.
“The father asked him to drop a family member home, but also warned him against carrying any passenger while returning,” Ms Hajira Alinza, who operates a similar business nearby, said on Tuesday.
“This was the second time the deceased’s father was losing a motorcycle, having lost the first one from his home in December last year,” Ms Alinza said.
The chairperson of Labour boda boda stage, Mr Swaibu Kitimbo, said their job has been besieged by motorcycle thefts and bandits who prowl the streets even during daytime.
“My colleagues have been beaten and robbed of money, phones and motorcycles, most of which were acquired through loans. At least five motorcycles have been stolen since this year began.
“The problem is that whichever suspect we apprehend doesn’t spend more than two days in police custody (because of the 48-hour rule governing issuing bond),” he said.
The secretary of Labour boda boda stage, Mr Alex Mawerere, said the perpetrators first scour the area for their victims, before zeroing in on the ones they deem most vulnerable.
“In one of the most-recent scenarios, the passenger said he was going to Irundu and back, before robbing our colleague of his motorcycle,” said Mr Mawerere.
Mr Ibrahim Mawalo, also a boda boda rider, said potential motorcycle thieves first steak out the area for between three and seven days, then lure their victims to deserted places where their accomplices lie in wait.
“We are soon abandoning the job because when we subject a suspect to mob justice, we are accused of murder,” said Mr Mawalo.
The Kamuli Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Ms Rose Birungi, said they have had challenges of boda boda riders losing their motorcycles, while others have been killed or injured; however, the district security committee is trying to stop the vice.
“Last month, the district security committee and municipality officials met boda boda riders and their leadership, but their concerns were mainly on the loss of motorcycles; however, we noted that thieves are among them.
“Some of the solutions are for them to leave their work early. I have always seen some of them working up to midnight or as late as 2am when the streets are empty and most passengers at that time are wrongdoers,” Ms Birungi added.
She, however, said they have laid “strategies”, which have seen the vice reduce from being on a daily basis to a few isolated cases.
She added that their intelligence-led operations have led to the arrest of over 20 people who have all been arraigned in court and are currently on remand.
