Police hunt for gunmen who robbed Link Bus passengers

Mityana, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in Mityana District is hunting a group of gunmen who mounted a roadblock and robbed an unspecified amount of money from passengers aboard a Kampala-bound Link Bus.

It is alleged that the passengers were traveling on a night bus from Bundibugyo when the bus was stopped by the gunmen at Mpamujugu swamp along the Mityana -Kampala highway.

According to the Police’s preliminary findings, the bus registration number UBG 423 G, belonging to Link Bus Company left Bundibugyo town had 65 passengers on board. But at around 2 a.m., they met a roadblock manned by about 10 people who ordered them to move out of the bus and lie down on the road.

Wamala Region Police Spokesperson Racheal Kawala said that after picking up all the properties, including money and mobile phones, the robbers then ordered them to board the bus. The attackers had guns, sticks, and hammers.

The robbery comes two days after another bus belonging to Link caught fire at Wakaliga traffic lights in Natete.

Three weeks ago, the Ministry of Works and Transport suspended the operations of the bus company after one of its buses was involved in an accident in Fort Portal killing 23 people.

However last week, the suspension was lifted.

In April this year, the Police Flying Squad Unit arrested six suspected masterminds of highway robberies along the Kampala-Mityana road.   According to the police, the suspects were conducted robberies from December 2021 to April targeting people transporting produce from Mityana, Mubende, Kassanda and Butambala districts.

It is alleged that the gang members were masquerading either as police or army officers on the lawful duty to their unsuspecting victims.

In one of the robberies, on January 23, 2022, at Bamunanika village along Mubende- Kampala highway, the thugs dressed in army uniforms and armed with toy guns, machetes and hammers mounted a fake roadblock and robbed occupants of a Fuso truck registration number UBG 709G that was loaded with 80 bags of maize.

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