By An Executive Editor

The head of a criminal gang that has been vandalizing cars in Kisekka and charging their unsuspecting owners a lot of money for repair has been arrested.

The suspect has been identified as Ismael Mpalanyi alias Atilibo alias Biba.

Background

On the 12th of June 2022, a Justus Byarugaba was allegedly robbed by a group of thugs using violence that occasioned grievous bodily harm on the victim. A case of Aggravated Robbery was subsequently registered at cps vide CRB 987/22.

This happened when he went to Kiseka market on the fateful day to repair his car which had a small mechanical problem with its side mirror. Unfortunately he was attacked by a group of thugs that are known as BANZEGE who dismantled his motor vehicle and started demanding that he pays them over 10 million shillings.

When he refused, he was beaten using spanners and even robbed of his 50,000 (fifty thousand shillings only). The victim managed to run away from the premises and went to police who helped remove his car from the scene. The suspects had already fled.

This BANZEGE group has for long terrorized innocent unsuspecting people from Kiseka market. It was established that this group is led by on Mpalanyi alias Atilibo alias Biba, Ronald Kiyimba alias Kasekende, Moses Waswa alias Mudinka, Ronald Sembogo and Godfrey Bagalana.  

An intelligence led operation was conducted that led to the arrest of Waswa ‘Mundika’ on the 5th of July. He was later produced at Buganda Road court on charges of Aggravated Robbery and then committed to the High court on the 15th of November 2022.

On the 22nd of December 2022 Kiyimba alia Kasekende was also produced at Buganda road court on the same charges.

On the same day, the leader of this notorious group Mpalanyi alias Atilibo alias Biba was finally arrested together with Bagalana and Sembogo.

“The three are still in custody pending court on charges of Aggravated Robbery. They have been charged and will appear before court on charges of Aggravated Robbery c/s 285/286 of the PCA,” Deputy Police Spokesperson Claire Nabakka told the media Wednesday.

According to Nabakka, “As much as this group has caused a lot of public outcry it has been established that few people ever reported them to the police.”

“The arrest of these thugs has brought some sanity to the Kiseka market. We would like to thank our teams on ground who have tirelessly pursued this case up-to-date. UPF calls on the general public to continue with the vigilance and report any such incidents,” Nabakka said.