By Andrew Irumba
Mbale: The police in eastern Uganda are hunting for a gang of armed robbers who shot dead one policeman and left three others nursing gunshot wounds on Thursday afternoon, two Kilometers from Nabumali corner off Mbale-Lwakhakha Road.
Sergeant Fred Chemonges, who has been attached to Mbale Central Police station, was shot dead as he and others pursued the armed thugs who were driving a Toyota Mark II, with a fake registration number UAT 112A. The ruthless robbers shot at other policemen who include Solomon Ikalati, Charles Mukisa, and Spanslaus Tukei, who are currently undergoing medical attention at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital where they were rushed. Our sources at Mbale Police reveal that the thugs opened fire when they realized the policemen were pursing them, which culminated into a lengthy gunfire exchange in which Chemonges was shot dead.
The Elgon Region Police John Robert Tukei, Spokesperson said that “The original registration number of the vehicle that belongs to Godfrey Sengondya is UAP 283Y, not UAT 112A which the thugs had put on the car.” He added that “The officers shot some of the thugs but they escaped from the scene abandoning their vehicle behind.” Tukei noted however that the police and army have started a serious manhunt for the killer thugs. He appealed to anybody with information that might help lead to the arrest of the thugs to report to the nearest police station or post. He revealed that the deceased police officer’s body was taken by police to Mbale Referral Hospital mortuary as investigations into the matter continue vide file number CRP 873/ 2019 of Mbale Central Police Station. However, the police are yet to issue an official statement about this shocking incident. This comes just a day after a student of Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi identified as Rapahel Walugembe was shot dead at his mother’s home in Lungujja, Rubaga division, Kampala, by unknown thugs, who also robbed several people.
