An irate mob at Mtua village in Lwandeti ward in Matete has lynched a man suspected of livestock theft. Eye witnesses told West Media the suspect, identified as Mukalo Makokha, was flushed from a hideout inside a bush in one of the villager’s farm before he was assaulted and lynched the angry mob.
The villagers had spent part of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning tracing animals that had allegedly been stolen from a compound belonging to one of them in the neighboring Sango village in Matete.
“The long search had been triggered by the disappearance of two dairy cows from Mr. Chrisantus Mukongolo Ndukuyu’s homestead on Tuesday night,” said the source, adding that Ndukuyu raised the alarm when he noticed his cows were missing from the shed.
The source narrated how the villagers, mostly armed youths and men, traced the hideout by keenly following hoof and footprint marks left behind by the animals and the thieves.
The marks led the group deep inside the bush on Mr. Lando Khwatenge’s farm where they bumped into carcasses of the two animals. “Though the dead animals had not been skinned, they had deep cuts inside the stomachs,” said Ndukuyu.
The animal owner said it was yet to be established whether the thieves were only interested with the animals’ innards only. “This is because all other animal parts were there,” said a visibly disturbed Ndukuyu, adding the search team went ahead until they found Makokha.
According to the witnesses, the suspect was found with two blood-soaked swords, besides his blood-stained clothes. “After revealing two of his accomplices as Mulati Shikuku and Ban Mwele the suspected thief was beaten thoroughly before he was lynched.”
Mabuye sub location assistant chief, Mr. Nyongesa Mulongo confirmed the incident. Mulongo warned area residents against taking the law into own hands but instead involve security officers whenever they encountered criminals or suspects of the crime.
He, however, asked the locals to be always on the lookout. “We further appeal to the locals against hiding criminals amidst them,” urged the local administrator.
